Share

cover art for This AI tool predicts your risk of 1,000 diseases — by looking at your medical records

Nature Podcast

This AI tool predicts your risk of 1,000 diseases — by looking at your medical records

00:50 The AI tool that predicts disease risk

Researchers have developed an AI tool that can calculate a person’s risk of developing over 1,000 different diseases, sometimes years in advance. The system, called Delphi-2M, was trained to identify patterns of disease progression using 400,000 people's health records from data repository the UK Biobank. This training allowed it to predict someone’s future disease risks, based on their current medical record. While AI health prediction systems do exist, they typically only estimate risks for a single disease — the authors hope that their system could one day save healthcare professionals time and be used to calculate disease burdens at a population level.


Research Article: Shmatko et al.

News: What diseases will you have in 20 years? This AI makes predictions


11:01 Research Highlights

Evidence that refugees hosted by local families integrate better into their adoptive country — plus, the squidgy shirt that can keep wearers cool.


Research Highlight: How to help refugees thrive: have local families host them

Research Highlight: Jelly-filled garment keeps wearers cool when heat and humidity soar


13:50 Give an AI a task and it may cheat for you

Using AI tools may make you more likely to cheat at tasks like tax reporting, according to a new study. Using a well-studied test of honesty, researchers looked to see if people were more likely to engage in unethical behaviour if given the option of delegating it to an AI. Including AIs seemed to increase the chance that someone would be dishonest, which raises concerns about the impacts of these tools on ethics.


Research Article: Köbis et al

News and Views: People are more likely to cheat when they delegate tasks to AI


24:54 Briefing Chat

Europe has a new supercomputer, JUPITER, that could boost its AI ambitions, and a catalogue of octopus movement.


Nature: World's most energy-efficient AI supercomputer comes online

New York Times: Building an Octopus Dictionary, One Arm Movement at a Time


Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.

More episodes

View all episodes

  • Briefing Chat: Anthropic rolls out new AI watermark — will it make a difference?

    16:52|
    In this episode:00:29 What does Anthropic’s new watermark mean for research?Nature: Can Anthropic’s invisible watermarks curb ‘AI slop’? Researchers remain sceptical10:57 Ticklishness is a distinct, specialized body sensation, research findsNature: Where are you ticklish? Researchers map the sensation across culturesSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
  • The probiotic bacteria engineered to treat diabetes

    19:37|
    Genetically modified bacteria lower high blood-sugar in animal trials — plus, how to safely watch a solar eclipse.00:45 A living diabetes treatmentResearch article: Guan et al.08:03 Research HighlightsNature: Pumas are drivers’ guardian angelsNature: How a steady drip-drip can erode the hardest stone10:29 What eclipses might reveal about the Sun’s coronaNature: Solar eclipse offers rare chance to solve Sun’s magnetic-field mysteriesSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
  • Briefing Chat: Is DNA repair the secret to a long life? Whales and mole-rats offer tantalizing hints

    13:52|
    Nature staff discuss how animal studies are starting to uncover how DNA repair could prolong life, and how COVID-19 can reawaken dormant viruses.00:25 Could reawakened viruses have a link to long-COVID?Nature: COVID can wake up a slew of dormant viruses inside you05:57 DNA damage can cause ageing, could boosting repair boost longevity?Nature: ​​​​​​​Could mending damaged DNA prolong life?​​​​​​​Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
  • Junk plastic turns into high-value commodity with chemistry trick

    13:01|
    Researchers untangle the chemistry behind turning PVC into high-grade motor lubricant — plus, how engineered yeast can help make a cancer drug.00:45 The chemistry behind converting PVC into lubricantResearch article: Munyaneza et al.09:15 Research HighlightsNature: ​​​​​​​Engineered yeast that make cancer drugs could spare a rare flowerNature: ​​​​​​​Sickle-cell disease linked to prematurely aged stem cells in mice​​​​​​​Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
  • Briefing Chat: Orcas smashed a sunfish to bits — researchers aren't sure why

    14:18|
    In this episode:00:24 The quest to count the Amazon's insectsNature: Tiny patch of Amazon likely holds 40,000 insect species — many new to science07:31 The orcas that exploded a sunfishThe Guardian: Orcas seen ramming prey so hard it explodes may be playing gameTiktok: Orcas vs sunfishSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
  • Earthworks spotted in the Amazon hint at huge ancient civilization

    20:30|
    In this episode:00:45 Ancient structures hidden beneath the Amazon’s canopyResearch article: Pärssinen et al.09:15 Research HighlightsNature: It’ll grow on you: live fungi formed into sustainable fashionPhysical Review Fluids: Gourmandie et al.11:48 Tiny fossils represent the earliest-known squid ancestorResearch article: Song et al.Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
  • Briefing Chat: Baby T. rex were killers from birth, suggest new fossils

    12:43|
    Nature staff discuss the young but deadly dinosaur kings, the prowess of ancient Egyptian princesses, and how London is becoming the world’s AI safety capital.00:34 London is transforming into an AI-safety hubNature: A global capital for AI safety is emerging — and it’s not in Silicon Valley05:52 Bones reveal that ancient Egyptian princesses weren’t pamperedScientific American: Ancient Egyptian princesses were ‘powerful’ weapon users, new analysis suggests9:30 T. rex was born ready to killDiscover magazine: Fossil Evidence Indicates Baby T. rex Were Tiny, but DeadlySubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
  • What counts as a moon? Huge ‘exosatellite’ sparks debate

    23:50|
    00:45 The discovery of a moon-like object in a distant star systemResearch article: Hoy et al.10:34 Research HighlightsNature: Moving floors keep buildings from swaying with the windNature: Wearable sensors on the face are invisible to the eye13:07 A discovery of a new type of rare transmissible-cancerResearch article: Curd et al.Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
  • Briefing Chat: Sweet! Elusive sugar molecules found in space

    09:55|
    In this episode:00:24 A sweet discovery near the Milky Way’s centreNature: First ‘true sugar’ molecule found in space — offering hints to life’s origins05:05 Mathematical texts give insights into Maya mathematical prowessNature: Mathematics formula found on Maya wall rivals insights of ancient mastersSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.