Artificial intelligence can spot parasitic worm eggs in human faecal samples – including those from parasite species missed when lab technologists use a microscope to study the same samples. The discovery suggests AI could help us better diagnose and treat parasitic worm infections across the globe. The World Health Organization estimates that almost one-quarter of the world's population – or 1.5 billion people – are infected by parasitic worms living in their intestinal systems. The infections can lead to malnutrition, anaemia or stunted cognitive development. But diagnosis and treatment is often inaccessible because there are a limited number of experts trained to spot the infections.