Google unveils AI tool that can identify 288 skin conditions

Google has revealed an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tool that can identify 288 different skin conditions, including warts, cysts and lipoma. The tool, which Google hopes to launch as a pilot later this year, will let users take and submit three images of an area of concern – either skin, hair or nails – from different angles. They'll then be asked questions about skin type, how long they've had the issue and other symptoms to give a list of possible matching conditions. The tool has been trained with around 65,000 images of diagnosed skin conditions, as well as millions of other images of concern and thousands of examples of healthy skin. Google stressed that the tool is not intended to provide a diagnosis nor be a substitute for medical advice, but rather help users make a'more informed decision' about whether to go to a doctor.