Baidu has launched a chatbot named Melody the Medical Assistant, which is powered by artificial intelligence (AI). The chatbot is designed to communicate with patients and collect data about their conditions to save doctors' time.

Melody is built into the company's Baidu Doctor app, which was launched in China in 2015. Baidu has developed advanced deep learning and natural language processing technologies to control the AI brain of Melody, according to CNBC. 

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The bot is intended to be people’s first call when they are feeling sick at home. Melody reduces the amount of time patients and doctors have to spend exchanging basic information.

When a patient asks a health query to Melody, it responds in real-time with other questions and evaluates responses with Baidu's database of medical information. After gathering all the data, Melody will create a possible diagnosis for a doctor who can then recommend next steps. The chatbot will send responses on behalf of doctors after the doctors verify the information.

Baidu gathered data from numerous public and private sources such as medical textbooks and medical websites to feed Melody’s artificial intelligence. The data collected came from a wide array of back and forth conversations between doctors and patients as well as search queries and other information supplied by doctors. Afterward, Baidu applied deep learning to the collected data.

“I don't know how else to solve this problem other than to use AI. I'm seeing just the beginnings of what will be a major trend of AI systems in health care,” said Andrew Ng, chief scientist at Baidu Research.

Baidu tasked a 1,000-person team with developing Melody’s AI, and it became one of the company's top priorities. Melody is not yet ready to create diagnoses directly to patients, according to Ng. He added that further studies are needed, and it will take time to replace human physicians with robo-doctors.

For now, the chatbot is only available in China and only communicates in Chinese to patients and doctors, Venture Beat reported. Ng said that the company wants to help in the healthcare industry globally. Baidu is now in talks with healthcare services around the world, including in the United States and Europe. 

TagsBaidu, Artificial Intelligence, AI, Medical Assistant Chatbot, Baidu Medical Assistant Chatbot, Baidu Melody, Melody Medical Assistant Chatbot