AI in healthcare: Fascinating tech, but is it actually saving lives?

An occupant of the SPHERE house, wearing a lot of sensors. (credit: SPHERE)

In an unassuming, two-story Victorian town house in Bristol, people are being filmed, monitored, and tracked 24/7. Invisible sensors constantly keep a watchful eye as they go about their business. But what these folks lose in privacy could be our collective gain in life expectancy—that is, if the long-term data bears out.

Pivotal to the £15-million (~$21M) Sensor Platform for Healthcare in a Residential Environment (SPHERE) project, this house has been invisibly fitted with dozens of cameras and sensors while its occupants are asked to don wearable devices. The aim is to research how health is related to everyday lifestyle and living conditions over time.

The smart home observes everything, from how long the occupants slouch in front of the TV to their activity sitting or walking or exercising. The house captures such pieces of information and can contextualize them against each other. It takes note of how much and how frequently the occupants eat and drink and which appliances are being used. It even records when occupants sleep and keeps track of temperatures around the house.