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Editor’s note: Ruth Porat recently spoke at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Annual Meeting in Chicago. Below is an edited transcription of her remarks.
We are living in an extraordinary time for technology, with AI and its application across so many areas being the latest — and by far — the greatest development. Today, I want to share what we’re seeing at Google and put some of the AI opportunities into context — in particular to support the diagnosis, treatment, care and cure of cancer.
Throughout history, there have been a limited number of technologies that change everything. Economists call them “general purpose technologies” — they can affect an entire economy at a national or global level. They can alter societies through their impact on economic and social structures. General purpose technologies are very rare: They include the steam engine, electricity, the internet and now AI. Their power isn’t in the initial invention: it’s in the applications it makes possible when, to use another word from the economists, there’s “diffusion” — it spreads across all industries, throughout the economy.
Much like the steam engine — which was initially developed to pump water out of mines — it demonstrated its full transformative power only when it was put to use powering ships, trains and factories.
AI is one of those technologies. As a general purpose technology, it has tremendous potential across four broad areas: First is driving economic growth. Economists estimate that if AI is applied across industries, we could collectively have an uplift to global GDP of about $20 trillion by 2030.
The remaining three areas are highly related to health, and that’s what I’m going to spend time covering today: accelerating scientific breakthroughs, supporting better delivery and outcomes and strengthening cybersecurity.
Making cancer “manageable”
I’m coming to you today first as someone who’s privileged to work at Google with some of the planet’s most brilliant engineers, scientists and researchers. I’m a finance person — they humor me (mostly because they must!) I recently spoke with one of my colleagues, a gentleman by the name of Vint Cerf. If you use any of the many search engines out there to learn more about him, you’ll see that Vint is recognized as the father of the internet.
I asked the father of the internet for his perspective on the impact of AI relative to the internet. And he said he believes AI has greater potential than the internet, in his words, “because it can augment human capabilities.” It is a partner for all of you, for each of us.
I’m also coming to you as someone who has had cancer — twice. When I was first diagnosed, my children were very young: 5, 7 and 9 years old. For me, like many of your patients, everything was fine — until it wasn’t. I went in for my typical annual mammogram and found out I had breast cancer. And then the journey began, resulting in a double mastectomy and chemo.
The first thing I felt was fear — in particular, fear that I wouldn’t see them grow up, see who they would become, be there for graduations and so much more — as well as fear about the process of treatment.
Two years later, I was diagnosed with cancer again. That time was even scarier, because I thought I had done all I could possibly have done. And then there was more chemo, more surgery and this time, also radiation.
What I learned through the process: As difficult as my cancer was, for me it was manageable. And I learned that that word “manageable” was my friend.
I know I’m one of the privileged ones thanks to the extraordinary care I received at Memorial Sloan Kettering from people like my exceptional oncologist then, and my good friend now, Dr. Cliff Hudis and now ASCO’s CEO. I’m so grateful for everything — every step on the journey he took with me. And of course, luck. By coincidence Memorial Sloan Kettering was founded as New York Cancer Hospital on this date, May 31, in 1884.
Cancer is not yet manageable for all patients, and certainly not yet for all cancers. Even as AI is helping to make cancer “manageable” a reality for more people — which is, in and of itself, great progress — the ultimate goal, of course, is to look beyond manageable to preventable, and curable.
Today I want to take you through the areas of opportunity where I hope AI can help achieve just that, and move all of us closer to the goal best captured in ASCO’s great mission statement: “Conquering cancer through research, education, and promotion of the highest quality patient care.”
I’ll be the first to say that AI is not a panacea, but I hope and believe that technology can support the work that you are leading. Looking around the room, I’m humbled to be with so many dedicated professionals who bring that mission to life each day.
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