Google and NASA have announced a new partnership to provide AI-enabled healthcare to SpaceFlights.
The news is investigating how remote diagnosis and treatment will be provided to crew members without a doctor or when real-time communication with the Earth is not possible as NASA prepares for a new Artemis mission to return to the moon.
“As NASA missions venture deep into space, supporting crew health through space-based medicine is becoming more and more important,” the partner said in a statement.
To address this challenge, companies have developed a proof of concept for an automated clinical decision support system known as the “Crew Medical Officer Digital Assistant” or CMO-DA.
The tool is designed to help astronauts autonomously diagnose and manage medical conditions using a multimodal AI interface. Combining natural language processing, machine learning and “space flight literature,” CMO-DA offers real-time health assessments and potential treatment options.
Initial testing of the system is a framework commonly used to simulate a variety of medical scenarios, measure performance using objective, structured clinical tests, and evaluate clinical skills of medical students and health professionals.
The results of the first test showed positive results. Next, Google and NASA said they plan to continue developing the tool in collaboration with healthcare professionals, and aim to improve its performance and expand its capabilities.
“This innovative system isn’t just about supporting space exploration, it’s about pushing the boundaries of what AI can do, providing essential care in the most distant and harsh environments,” the partner said.
“This tool represents an important milestone in AI-assisted medicine and ongoing investigation of space. It has the potential to advance space missions and could benefit people on Earth by providing early access to quality medical care in remote locations,” they added.
