Data Advocates Raises Alarm Over Google's Takeover of AI Health App

Parvati Divakar - Dec 01, 2018

Tech giant Google has announced to take over DeepMind's health app and people has raised questions about its data privacy.

The Deepmind health's stream app just now become a part of Google.

Deepmind Streams app, for those who don't already know, is an app that gives doctor and nurse secure mobile access to important medical information about their patient. Streams was first used to in a London hospital. However, recent sources suggested that Google illegally handed the data of more than 1.6 million patients without their consents. One expert has alleged that this action is "trust demolition."

Julia Powles, known as a privacy advocate and lawyer, wrote on her Twitter:

DeepMind responded to critics, according to BBC:

With a goal to becoming an AI assistant for nurses and doctors around the world, Deepmind is said to take necessary actions to make that goal a reality. The company has also announced that Google will now help make DeepMind's vision of becoming an AI-powered assistant to nurses and doctors around the world a reality.

Streams won't be the only one affected. The remit of Google Health will also have an impact on the DeepMind Health Division that has partnered with 10 NHS hospitals for medical data processing.

Most recently, the streams built in collaboration with London's Royal Free Hospital to the management support in acute kidney injury. Google also plans to develop a software that would help spot and alert doctors if their patient were at risk.

Even in the absence of artificial intelligence, Streams was still rated highly as it can improve diagnostic accuracy, save time and provide more consistent patient care.

The AI research firm recently confirmed that it would collaborate with Moorfields Eye Hospital to make referrals when tested on patient's eye scans.

After a year-long investigation, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) finally come to the point of conclusion. ICO suggests that the Streams had broken UK privacy law for access to a wide range of healthcare data on the 1.6 million patients without their confirmation.

Moving DeepMind under Google’s direct control is expected to solve this problem. Deepmind also claims that no data would be shared with the tech giant. The firm stressed: