How Mirai AI model detects early breast cancer; know here

In the race to create AI devices that enhance human life, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has achieved a significant breakthrough in breast cancer detection. 

Researchers at MIT's Jameel Clinic for Machine Learning and the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have developed an AI model that can identify breast cancer up to five years before clinical diagnosis.

Named Mirai, this deep learning model analyzes mammography data to detect precancerous changes in high-risk women. 

It predicts a patient's risk over various future time points and can incorporate clinical risk factors such as age and family history when available. 

How Mirai Identifies Breast Cancer?

Mirai analyzes chromatin images from 560 tissue samples across 122 patients, identifying eight distinct cell states throughout different stages of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). 

By examining both cellular composition and spatial organization, the model underscores the importance of tissue structure in predicting disease progression.

Using a convolutional variational autoencoder, the AI learns from simple chromatin staining images, a more cost-effective and accessible method compared to complex sequencing techniques. 

Notably, Mirai detected cell states associated with invasive cancer even in tissue that appeared normal to the human eye, according to Analytics India Magazine.

The news of this breakthrough sparked reactions on social media. Business tycoon Anand Mahindra commented, “If this is accurate, then AI is going to be of significantly more value to us than we imagined and much earlier than we had anticipated.” 

If this is accurate, then AI is going to be of significantly more value to us than we imagined and much earlier than we had imagined… https://t.co/5Mo2cT7X7T

— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) July 28, 2024

Many users praised the innovation, with one stating, “This is what AI should be doing. As someone who’s seen multiple family members suffer from breast cancer, this is truly revolutionary.” Others added, “It’s a perfect use of AI rather than creating fake videos of politicians.”