Artificial intelligence (AI) is the branch of computer science that enables machines to perform activities that up to now have required human know-how, such as image or speech recognition. Virtual assistants are probably the most familiar everyday manifestations of AI, and the big players in the AI field have their own avatars: Siri (Apple), Alexa (Amazon), Google Assistant, and Cortana (Microsoft). However, the impact of applied AI is now being felt, particularly across sectors such as health sciences. Here, AI-driven solutions automate and improve the efficiency of complex processes for the early detection of certain cancers and reduce the risks to patients in treatment programmes for those conditions. Spending on cognitive and AI systems worldwide is expected to more than quadruple by 2021, according to International Data Corporation.