Big Tech uses AI to arrest blindness among India's burgeoning diabetics

Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness and vision loss in adults and tech giants such as Intel and Google are building AI-based innovations to address such problems

India has one of the largest diabetic populations of any country in the world, approaching 98 million cases by 2030. Research shows that diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of blindness and vision loss in adults, and early detection and treatment is critical to stopping the damage. However, the lack of trained retinal specialists in India — especially in remote, rural regions — limits effective screening of asymptomatic patients. Many such patients do not receive proper and timely medical attention and develop advanced diabetic eye disease as a result. Tech giants such as Intel, Google and Microsoft are building