Computer vision AI looks beyond the narrow into the mainstream

Computer vision is still an emerging technology for businesses. But in September 2018, Gartner analyst Bern Elliot included computer vision in a list of enterprise AI technologies that organizations should at least be experimenting with, particularly in combination with machine learning and deep learning algorithms.

Amsterdam UMC, which operates two teaching hospitals in the Netherlands, is doing just that. It has started using a computer vision AI application running in a SAS Institute Inc. analytics system to measure the size of liver tumors in colorectal cancer patients. The automated medical-image analysis is faster and more accurate than manual measurements by radiologists, according to Geert Kazemier, a surgery professor and director of surgical oncology at Amsterdam UMC.

The technology also enables the radiologists to focus on higher-level tasks, Kazemier said during a presentation at SAS Global Forum 2019 in Dallas. “A lot of them spend one-third of their day on these measurements, and they don’t consider it the most rewarding part of their day,” he noted.

This handbook examines computer vision systems and what they can do. First, we detail the growing number of ways in which the technology is being deployed by organizations. Next, we focus in on potential computer vision AI uses in retail stores. We close with a rundown of how police departments are using computer vision and other AI tools — and concerns about potential misuse.

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