New project seeks to guide AI use in treating neurodegenerative illnesses

Feb. 13 (UPI) -- A new non-profit collaborative seeks to accelerate and safely manage the use of artificial intelligence in the fight against neurodegenerative illnesses, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

The Oakland, Calif-based 10,000 Brains Project brings together leading non-profits in their field of study with the goal to provide the needed leadership, expertise and financial backing to "ensure that researchers can rapidly adopt this powerful new technology in the search for better diagnostics and treatments for patients in need," according to a news release.

"We hope to serve as a resource to others in the field as we jointly explore and embrace the unique capabilities of AI," said Patrick Brannelly, 10,000 Brains Project's founding CEO. He said the organization welcomes any outside interest by possible stakeholders who "share our vision of AI-enabled precision medicine for all types of neurodegenerative disease."

The new alliance unites the Milken Institute, the Rainwater Charitable Foundation and the Robertson Foundation. Their first step in their mission is to develop a "roadmap" -- to be shared with researchers worldwide beginning this year -- that will be intended to guide and inform others on the "rapid adoption of AI within neurodegeneration research."

"We still do not fully understand neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease. Recently, we have learned that the immune system might be involved," David Gate, an assistant professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, told UPI in 2022.