NASA and Google have begun testing an artificial intelligence-based digital medical assistant, called CMO-DA (Crew Medical Officer – Digital Assistant), to provide autonomous diagnostics and treatment for astronauts during missions beyond low Earth orbit, Space reports. The project is part of the Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS).
The development is focused on Artemis space program missions that involve long-term stays of crews on the Moon and Mars, where communication with Earth can be delayed by up to 45 minutes. In such conditions, real-time consultations with doctors become impossible, and a quick return to Earth is not an available option.
The AI assistant, trained on medical literature related to spaceflight, uses advanced natural language processing and machine learning techniques to analyze the health of the crew in real time. According to Google, initial results demonstrate the system's ability to form reliable diagnoses based on described symptoms.
NASA and Google are currently working with medical professionals to further test and refine the model. The development could also find applications in isolated regions of the world where access to qualified medical care is limited.