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The MIT Jameel Clinic, the epicentre of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), hosted today its first conference in Saudi Arabia to advance the use of AI in healthcare. The 2023 edition of AI Cures • MENASA aims to explore the integration of AI into healthcare with a focus on the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia (MENASA) region.

Convened in Riyadh by the MIT Jameel Clinic, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, the SEHA Virtual Hospital, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre and Community Jameel, the conference brought computer scientists, clinicians, government officials and industry leaders to explore the latest advancements in the field of AI in healthcare, including medical diagnostics, treatment planning and patient care.

In alignment with the MIT Jameel Clinic’s mission to democratise access to AI-driven healthcare solutions worldwide, the AI Cures • MENASA conference served as a platform for the international expansion of the Jameel Clinic AI Hospital Network. Launched in 2022 by the MIT Jameel Clinic with support from Community Jameel and Wellcome, the network is designed to build partnerships with hospitals globally to ensure new healthcare technologies are developed and deployed equitably across the world, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries, to improve quality of care and save lives.

Hassan Jameel, vice chairman of Community Jameel, said: “Since its establishment five years ago, the MIT Jameel Clinic has made significant strides in the advancement of healthcare through artificial intelligence. The MIT Jameel Clinic’s AI Cures initiative aims to translate these incredible achievements into everyday standard care for patients. The AI Cures • MENASA conference, for the first time in the Kingdom, will work to partner with hospitals here to introduce groundbreaking tools powered by AI which will transform the healthcare landscape in the country, in line with the aims of Vision 2030.”

Ignacio Fuentes Ribas, executive director at the MIT Jameel Clinic, said: “We are delighted to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the MIT Jameel Clinic and host this one-of-a kind conference and for the first time in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, alongside esteemed scientists, decision-makers, public health pioneers, and leading industry figures. The groundbreaking endeavors led by the MIT Jameel Clinic in the past five years now stand at the forefront of healthcare revolution. We are excited to see the Jameel Clinic AI Hospital Network extend its reach throughout the MENASA region, deploying clinical AI tools worldwide. This initiative not only showcases the transformative potential of AI in medicine but also underscores our commitment to reducing healthcare disparities on a global scale.”

Co-founded by MIT and Community Jameel in 2018, the MIT Jameel Clinic developed several groundbreaking AI tools using deep learning techniques. Most recently, the MIT Jameel Clinic deployed the pioneering AI tools, Mirai and Sybil. Mirai can assess breast cancer risk up to five years earlier, and more accurately, than current state-of-the-art screening techniques. Sybil is capable of assessing lung cancer risk up to six years in advance, with near-perfect accuracy for patients who are one year away from developing lung cancer. The MIT Jameel Clinic is working on a number of new clinical AI tools, including a model which can detect prostate cancer.