In light of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which runs throughout October, Google is building features directly into Google Assistant with the aim of encouraging people to test early and be well-equipped with relevant information.
Revealed in a blog post by Google on Wednesday, these features will "help people take early steps to protect themselves against breast cancer".
When interacting with Google Assistant, the smart device will now present U.S. users with information about breast cancer, such as "the critical importance of early detection and mammography", from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This month, Google Assistant will also respond to regular questions like "what's up" or "how are you" with facts and figures about breast cancer.
Credit: Google. The tech company also encourages people to set up annual breast cancer checks, writing in the blog post, ""If you're prone to putting off your checkups, just tell your Assistant, 'Hey Google, set an annual reminder to get my breast exam on [date]".
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Google is also participating in ongoing research regarding early detection, together with Northwestern University. The clinical research study involves using AI models to reduce the time to diagnose breast cancer, in order to "[narrow] the assessment gap" and ultimately deliver a better patient experience. In fact, Google's AI model has already been able to spot breast cancer in mammograms with "greater accuracy, fewer false positives, and fewer false negatives than experts," though that study was not without patient privacy controversy.
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Nonetheless, it's important to book a screening — and if you've been tested, and need some more advice about the results, we've got you.