Newswise — DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke Health is embarking on a five-year, innovative partnership with Microsoft aimed at responsibly and ethically harnessing the potential of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud technology to redefine the health care landscape.
By marrying Duke Health's leadership in patient care and medical research with Microsoft's technological expertise, this strategic partnership will usher in a new era of innovation, to include the creation of a Duke Health AI Innovation Lab and Center of Excellence.
"Duke Health's commitment to delivering the next generation of medicine is unwavering," said Craig Albanese, M.D., chief executive officer of Duke University Health System. "Through this collaboration, we aim to bring the future of health care into the present, crafting a new normal that is not merely innovative but transformative."
"The partnership is a milestone in the evolution of digital health care," said Jeffrey Ferranti, M.D., senior vice president and chief digital officer of Duke Health. "Our unrivaled expertise in data science, patient care, and technology innovation synergizes perfectly with Microsoft's health care solutions and AI technology. Together, we are poised to propel Duke into the forefront of digitally-focused health systems, while simultaneously studying the reliability and safety of generative AI in health care."
Microsoft will equip Duke with state-of-the-art training to foster a cloud-savvy IT workforce and construct a secure cloud environment to simplify and modernize IT operations. In addition, Duke intends to use Microsoft Azure’s secure cloud to streamline clinical care, promote health equity, and further advancements in both research and education.
“Microsoft is excited to collaborate with Duke Health to operationalize responsible AI principles, helping to ensure that AI is deployed safely, effectively, and in an unbiased and transparent manner,” said David Rhew, M.D., global chief medical officer and vice president of Healthcare at Microsoft. “Together we will apply the latest Microsoft technologies to expedite and scale Duke Health’s nationally recognized model of AI governance. By sharing best practices and lessons learned, we hope other organizations will benefit from our experience.”
Duke Health and Microsoft will also pioneer new AI-based solutions designed to augment health care and fast-track innovation. Microsoft's reputation for leading-edge advancements in generative AI technology is globally recognized, and this collaboration will use Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service to redefine health care experiences for providers and patients.
AI has a wide array of potential applications to enhance health care processes, including automation of administrative tasks to reduce workloads and expanded capabilities for personalizing patient education.
"As founding members of the Coalition for Health AI, Duke University and Duke Health have provided national leadership in AI research, development and governance, making the technology more trustworthy,” said Mary Klotman, M.D., executive vice president for Health Affairs at Duke University, and dean of Duke University School of Medicine.
“As advocates for the responsible and ethical use of AI in health care, we recognize AI's immense potential to revolutionize health care, and remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring Duke’s innovation in this area adheres to the highest ethical standards," Klotman said.
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