Investing in artificial intelligence could help the NHS pay for itself

Can robots really save the NHS? Last week Jeremy Hunt, the secretary of state for health and social care doubled down on ambitious plans for the deployment of artificial intelligence software across the NHS, with a particular focus on cancer detection. The idea that software programmes could spot cancer earlier than trained radiologists may seem outlandish, yet for people working with healthcare start-ups in Britain, Mr Hunt's plan seems not just feasible but perhaps not ambitious enough. Rather than just looking at what technologies the NHS could adopt from the outside to improve care, it should be looking to develop its own services to provide to the world. We all know there is no technological...