Though Senscio Systems relies on artificial intelligence, De dislikes how the term "AI" has become a buzzword -- so much so, she said, that it's losing …

Piali De is a physicist who worked on creating AI systems for the U.S. defense departments, including programs after 9/11. She found the work meaningful, but in 2010, her father-in-law became ill and needed a heart valve replacement. After the procedure, he picked up an infection and his health went downhill. "In front of our eyes, he became reduced to a man who was very capable of taking care of himself to one who couldn't," De said in a phone interview. She and her husband Hugh Stoddart, who is also a physicist, came to a realization: "The [healthcare] system gets exponentially complicated if you have anything other than pristine health."