Friday Five: Google's AI tool to help identify skin conditions

Zone's Ross Basham handpicks and shares the five best new stories on digital trends, experiences and technologies… Google has unveiled a tool that uses AI to help spot skin, hair and nail conditions based on images uploaded by patients. The AI can recognise 288 skin conditions but is not designed to be a substitute for medical diagnosis and treatment. As well as using images, the app also requires patients to answer a series of questions. Google says there are 10 billion searches for skin, hair and nail issues every year. The AI for this tool has been optimised to avoid missing "alarming or scary" conditions such as skin cancer, although erring on the side of caution means lots of people will be advised to check out something that will turn out to be benign.