The FDA has appointed Jeremy Walsh as its first chief artificial intelligence officer to improve internal IT systems and streamline the medical product review process. With a background in AI and cloud projects from Booz Allen Hamilton, Walsh's role supports Commissioner Martin Makary's initiative to modernize drug approvals, which have often taken over a decade. The FDA recently completed its first AI-assisted scientific review and is developing cderGPT, a specialized AI tool for drug reviewers, with plans to implement generative AI across all centers by June. Commissioner Makary emphasized the necessity of action in leveraging AI to enhance efficiency in the agency's operations.

The U.S. is experiencing a growing demand for medical imaging driven by an aging population, while the workforce of radiologists and technologists is shrinking due to retirements and hospital consolidations, particularly affecting academic radiology departments. Institutions are facing pressure to prioritize clinical needs over long-standing research programs, posing a risk to innovative research capacity. To combat these challenges, Dr. Dushyant Sahani of UW Medicine Radiology advocates for innovation through a "seamless digital journey" for patients, emphasizing collaboration with technology manufacturers and the integration of AI tools from companies like GE Healthcare to improve the analysis of imaging data by moving from qualitative assessments to quantitative evaluations.

Silence Speaks, a British startup, is addressing the global shortage of sign language interpreters for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community by developing AI-powered avatars that translate text into British Sign Language (BSL). The technology not only conveys words but also captures regional dialects and emotional tones to enhance communication. Founded by Pavan Madduru, who drew inspiration from his interactions with a deaf friend, the company initially focused on real-time sign language translation but shifted to text-to-sign translation. Notably, they have partnered with Transport for London to improve accessibility by providing sign language videos for public announcements, with plans to expand into American Sign Language.