Int’l moot on FIT-23 begins ‘AI algorithms in radiology, pathology show promise in addressing challenges’

ISLAMABAD: “Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms in radiology and pathology showed promise in addressing challenges such as the shortage of qualified professionals in the field.”

This was stated by Dr Anne Martel, Professor in Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto, and a Senior Scientist and Tory Family Chair in Oncology at Sunnybrook Research Institute, while addressing at a two-day 20th International Conference on “Frontiers of Information Technology” (FIT-2023) started on Monday at COMSTECH Secretariat, Islamabad.

Over 200 industry experts, researchers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and senior-ranked officials were present at the opening ceremony.

The FIT serves as a platform for hosting a wide array of research and intellectual activities. The current edition received 258 technical paper submissions, underwent a rigorous blind review process, resulting in the acceptance of 59 papers i.e. an acceptance ratio of 23 percent. Speakers from France, the Netherlands, China, Ireland, Portugal, the UK, the USA, and Pakistan are participating in the two-day conference.

Ahmed Bilal Masood, Deputy CEO of Huawei Technologies, highlighted that Huawei dedicates 10 percent of its worldwide revenue to foster innovation and research. He also mentioned that followed by Chinese, Pakistanis constitute the second-largest nationality working with Huawei.

Dr Martel focused on the application of AI to healthcare, particularly in medical imaging.

AI algorithms in radiology and pathology showed promise in addressing challenges such as the shortage of qualified professionals in the field, said Dr Martel. By automating routine tasks, flagging abnormalities, and enhancing workflow efficiency, AI aids in managing workloads. It also optimizes limited resources, guiding healthcare workers and expediting patient scans. Despite successes, hurdles exist in translating research algorithms to clinical settings. Dr Martel proposed insights for realizing AI's full potential in healthcare.

Dr Sohail Asghar, General Chair/Incharge Islamabad Campus, informed that over 19-year history, this conference has evolved into a premier international event, bringing together brilliant minds globally to advance technology and innovation. Prof Asghar said that the agenda for FIT-23 encompasses diverse domains such as computational methods, AI, intelligent systems, and more. Prof Asghar hoped that the conference would be able to shape the future of information technology, disseminate cutting-edge knowledge, address challenges, and build a robust professional community.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023