SC agrees to use AI to improve medical education

New Delhi, Sep 21 : The Supreme Court has agreed that Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be used in the process of verification of medical colleges by the Medical Council of India (MCI).

The apex court has asked Nandan Nilekani, co-founder and non-executive chairman of Infosys, to give concrete suggestions at the earliest. The court said he would be at liberty to take technical assistance from various IT companies to devise a suitable mechanism.

A bench of Justice S.A. Bobde and Justice L. Nageswara Rao accepted the suggestions of senior advocate Kapil Sibal for AI-aided improvements in medical education in the country.

Sibal, who was assisting the court, told the bench that Nilekani could assist the court to develop a computer network-based technological solution which can include AI.

In its order on September 19, the bench said: "There are incessant disputes which reach this court about what actually transpires at inspections of various private medical colleges by the MCI. The parties contest virtually every fact that is recorded in an inspection."

It said: "Sibal has requested us to appoint an expert in the field such as Nandan Nilekani. We accordingly request Nilekani to go into this
problem and give concrete suggestions to this court at the
earliest."

AI, also called machine intelligence, is intelligence demonstrated by machines, as against natural intelligence displayed by humans and other animals.

The court has been hearing pleas relating to the regulation of the country's medical education to bring in transparency and accountability and oversee the statutory functioning of MCI, which regulates the country's medical education and the profession.