Alibaba Cloud uses AI to help autistic kids, smart agriculture

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IMAGINE a picture book that created with artificial intelligence (AI) specifically for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The AI tool transforms one-sentence plot summaries into engaging picture books with vivid graphics, audio narration, and accompanying text. Since its launch, it has been used nearly 200,000 times, by families and educators in China to create tailored learning materials for children with special needs.

In the field of cancer research, Alibaba has developed Panda, an AI tool for cancer diagnosis. The AI tool is designed to detect early signs of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma—a deadly cancer responsible for nearly half a million deaths annually—faster and more cost-effectively. Recognized on “Fortune’s Change the World” list for revolutionizing and making cancer screening more accessible, it is now deployed in hospitals in Zhejiang province.

The AI tool has demonstrated remarkable sensitivity, identifying abnormalities with greater accuracy than radiologists. Since its launch, its applications have expanded to detect other cancers, including liver, esophageal, and colon tumors, reducing diagnostic costs and accelerating early detection.

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Alibaba Cloud is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to address some of humanity’s most pressing challenges, focusing on areas such as weather forecasting, healthcare, agriculture, scientific discovery, and education. As the world grapples with issues like climate change, healthcare demands, and food security, Alibaba’s AI innovations aim to bring positive impacts and drive meaningful societal changes.

Apart from the autism-specific and cancer detecting toolbox, Alibaba’s key initiatives has already enhanced weather forecasting through its AI-powered model called Baguan.

Running for over 2 months now model delivers accurate predictions with hourly updates and a high spatial resolution of one-kilometer grids, enabling industries to prepare for unpredictable weather conditions up to 10 days in advance. Baguan’s precision is particularly beneficial for renewable energy, where accurate weather forecasts are critical for optimizing energy production and improving power grid management. By contributing to stable and efficient energy distribution, and aims to help mitigate environmental impacts and reduce costs.

A collaboration between Zhejiang University and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) allowed Alibaba to pioneer research in smart crop breeding. This study by the three institutions highlights how DNA methylation data can improve crop breeding techniques by analyzing high-quality methylomes, transcriptomes, and genomes from crop fibers. Uncovering over 287 million single methylation polymorphisms (SMPs) and identified genes related to fiber development, the research provides invaluable resources for future breeding initiatives and paves the way for smarter, more sustainable agricultural practices.

Alibaba Cloud has co-authored a groundbreaking study with Sun Yat-sen University and The University of Sydney, introducing LucaProt, an AI-powered deep-learning algorithm designed to detect RNA viruses. By analyzing protein sequences and structural features, LucaProt facilitated the discovery of 160,000 potential RNA virus species and 180 RNA virus supergroups—the largest virus discovery dataset ever published. This advancement deepens our understanding of viral evolution and equips healthcare professionals with a powerful tool for combating infectious diseases.

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