Guangdong launches AI medical school

Guangdong Medical University has launched what it says is the country's first artificial intelligence medical school, aimed at producing high-quality students while embracing transformation in educating those in the field of medicine in the AI era.

Lu Jinghui, secretary and president of the Guangdong Medical University, said the initiative will help create open-source medical education application scenarios for domestic medical AI models and support the development of AI literacy in knowledge learning, clinical research and diagnosis and treatment throughout students' growth from campus to hospital.

"It will help empower students with the necessary professional abilities to adapt to future medicine and smart healthcare through AI," Lu said.

The launch ceremony was held on Sunday at the university's campus in Zhanjiang, a coastal city in western Guangdong province, with experts, scholars and representatives from more than 100 universities, research institutions and AI companies in attendance.

The AI Medical School model was developed online using a HarmonyOS-powered ecosystem medical intelligent computing center that integrates virtual and real environments, as well as software and hardware. The center used AI, virtual reality, digital twin and metaverse technologies to create an AI medical education platform, providing application scenarios for emerging medical AI models.

Hou Fanfan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the World Academy of Sciences for the advancement of science in developing countries, said AI, especially large-model technology, is now rapidly integrating into medicine.

"The construction of the AI Medical School demonstrates a new perspective and model, creating and aggregating various general and specialized models in cyberspace and providing new application scenarios for medical education," Hou said.

Yi Xuefeng, deputy director of the Health Commission of Guangdong Province, said the initiative would promote the two-way empowerment of medical education and AI, providing high-quality resources and practical platforms for medical workers, teachers and students.

"Guangdong Medical University is actively exploring new models for future medical education by pioneering this platform, which integrates virtual-real fusion and software-hardware synergy for medical education, research and applications," Yi said.

The school has introduced a series of medical AI large-scale models and data resources while collaborating with AI enterprises as ecosystem partners. The first batch includes more than 30 general, industry and scenario-specific AI models in the medical field, high-quality data resources, 100 well-known teachers and doctors, and over 20 ecosystem partners.

"AI literacy and ability will become the core competitiveness of future doctors," said Zeng Zhirong, vice-president of Guangdong Medical University, noting that AI technology is reshaping healthcare and driving new waves in medical education and practice.

Located in the Leizhou Peninsula, Guangdong Medical University is an important role player in Guangdong, a global hub for innovation and manufacturing.

Several other Chinese universities are also embracing the role of AI in medicine. On June 27, the School of Medicine of Shanghai Jiao Tong University announced the formal establishment of its Institute of Medical Artificial Intelligence. On May 20, Tongji University held a conference on AI empowering disciplinary innovation, during which it launched its Medical Artificial Intelligence Institute.