WEO and APSDE jointly hosted a symposium on artificial intelligence (AI) in endoscopy on the 21st November 2024, during Asian Pacific Digestive Week 2024. We invited prominent speakers from the Asian region who kindly shared their knowledge and experience. Prof. Yuichi Mori discussed perspectives on WEO activity to implement AI on a global scale. Other speakers included Professors Mitsuhiro Fujishiro (AI in gastric cancer), Rungsun Rerknimitr (AI in biliary endoscopy), Philip Chiu (robotic AI), and Joseph Sung (the AI revolution in colonoscopy in Asia). The WEO AI Committee supported program development and chairing of the session, byProf. Yuichi Mori jointly with Prof. HisaoTajiri.
AI in endoscopy represents a global movement, and some of the most influential forces driving this academic field forward are emerging in the Asian region. In recent years, we have seen an explosion of innovative ideas for applying AI in endoscopy, complemented by the numerous AI devices that have received approval from local regulatory authorities. Another notable strength of the Asian region lies in its immense potential to accumulate vast amounts of medical imaging data, which is crucial for training machine learning models.
WEO has also provided a clear and forward-thinking perspective on this rapidly evolving technology. As highlighted by Prof. Mori during the symposium, the global community must embrace the benefits of AI in endoscopy, regardless of financial or personnel resources. Recognizing this, one of WEO’s key missions is to address the challenges faced by underserved areas and countries where diverse obstacles have hindered the adoption of AI.
The WEO AI Committee remains dedicated to advancing research and promoting the equitable dissemination of AI technologies, with a particular focus on global health and addressing disparities, aspects often overlooked in AI research and development.
