In a groundbreaking development for personalized healthcare, the UAE’s Technology Innovation Institute (TII) has unveiled an AI-powered digital avatar that interprets complex multi-omics medical data. This innovative system, showcased at Gitex Global 2024, combines genetic, epigenetic, and metabolic insights with TII’s Falcon language model to deliver personalized health guidance, marking a significant shift toward precision medicine in the Middle East. Dr. Patrick Merel discusses the new development.
The future of healthcare is unfolding before us, and it is personal, predictive, and powered by data and artificial intelligence.
For decades, genomic data (a person’s complete set of DNA) has been largely confined to reports such as PDFs shared between patients and healthcare professionals. This approach has been limiting, not only because of the static nature of the reports, but also because it only scratches the surface of what our biological data can reveal.
Today, multi-omics data, which combines genomics with other layers of biological data such as epigenome, microbiome, metabolome, represents a fuller, more accurate picture of health. Thanks to AI, we’re also now able to process and interpret this vast, complex information, allowing us to better engage with patients and promote preventive health.
At Gitex Global 2024 in Dubai, the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), the applied research pillar of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council, introduced a new digital avatar assistant capable of interpreting and delivering multi-omics medical data.
This digital avatar assistant provides comprehensive health insights and is a game changer in precision health. It democratizes access to multi-omics insights and makes personalized health guidance available to individuals in a way that is engaging, understandable, and actionable.
Imagine having a guide that helps you navigate your unique health landscape, advising you on dietary choices, fitness routines or stress management based on your own genetic, epigenetic and metabolic profile.
The potential to adjust lifestyle, diet and health practices based on a deep understanding of personal biology marks an important shift, from reactive sick care to proactive healthcare.
Multi-omics
The core of this innovation is TII’s multi-omics approach, which allows for early detection and prevention by revealing predispositions and patterns that single layers of data such as genomics alone might miss.
The ability of such a precision health initiative to gather and analyse data on a scale previously unimaginable is also made possible thanks to advances in AI. Using large language models (LLMs) like TII’s Falcon, we can interpret complex health information. Falcon helps translate complex genetic information into straightforward, actionable health advice.
In practice this means that with the help of our digital avatar assistant, individuals can receive guidance tailored to their unique biology, empowering them to take preventive steps for a healthier life and to be more proactive with their well-being.
Such a transformation hinges on data. In the past, genomic research has been concentrated in regions like the U.S. and Europe, but our research in the UAE aims to change that, building a robust dataset that reflects the region’s unique genetic diversity.
Our goal is to create a cohort of Emirati citizens who will participate in this research, generating a comprehensive dataset that can inform future health policies and preventive care strategies. This commitment to regional representation is about ensuring that precision health benefits all populations equitably.
Questions around the security, privacy and ethics of data are paramount, and at every step, we are committed to protecting patient data and maintaining transparency in how it is used.
Responsible AI protocols ensure that data is anonymized, stored securely, and only used with explicit consent, reinforcing trust in this new paradigm of healthcare. By building rigorous data governance frameworks, we can confidently advance multi-omics research while safeguarding individual privacy.
A testing ground for precision health solutions
The UAE has established itself as a global leader in adopting advanced digital infrastructures, making it an ideal testing ground for implementing such precision health solutions on a large scale.
The robust logistical and technological resources available in the UAE including data storage, high-speed networks and advanced computing power, enable us to conduct multi-omics research and deliver near-real-time health insights to the public.
Our vision is ambitious: we want to position the UAE at the forefront of precision health and wellness, serving as a model for similar initiatives worldwide. We envision a world where preventive health is accessible, engaging, and personalized. Digital avatar assistants represent a crucial step toward that future.
By responsibly sharing and protecting data, we can unlock the full potential of precision health for everyone, ushering in an era of healthcare that is truly proactive and inclusive.
