Ministry backing development of AI program to help diabetics improve daily habits, diet

The industry ministry is supporting the development of an artificial intelligence program designed to help diabetics improve their dietary and other daily habits to prevent their condition from worsening, sources have said. The ministry hopes to collect data about some 2,000 diabetics whose condition is very bad by year-end through a clinical trial in cooperation with the Japan Diabetes Society. The data, including weights and the numbers of steps taken, will serve as high-quality training data for AI development. Training data are an initial set of information with which computers learn how to reach appropriate answers. A clinical research-linked project to collect such data from so many diabetics is unprecedented around the world, according to sources, including a ministry executive.