AI Protects Health: A Story About Neural Networks in Medicine on Channel One
27.07.2026
A report on the use of neural networks in healthcare
aired on Channel One. The film crew visited the United Institute of Informatics Problems of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.
Anna Karpenko, a research fellow at the Laboratory of Mathematical Cybernetics, described how technology enables rapid drug discovery, a process that previously took decades. "The resulting molecules demonstrated good efficacy and low toxicity; they are currently undergoing biological testing," Karpenko shared.
Eduard Snezhko, head of the Laboratory of Medical Image Analysis, presented another unique development. This is a program that analyzes lung X-rays with a mathematical precision unimaginable to the human eye. The algorithm detects the slightest tissue changes, allowing for the diagnosis of cancer or pneumonia at the earliest stages, when the chances for a full recovery are highest.
The UIPI NAS of Belarus's technologies extend far beyond the country's borders. The report highlighted successful international collaborations, including joint database screening with Shanghai University to search for COVID-19 treatments.
The potential of this area was confirmed by Vladimir Stepanovich Karanik, Chairman of the Presidium of the NAS of Belarus: "It offers the opportunity to accelerate the development of new drugs most in demand by our patients, so that this laboratory process takes less time, not years or decades. It's clear that the clinical trials, safety, and efficacy assessments (everything related to human safety) will be carried out in a traditional manner."
The digital brain suggests options and complements the specialist, but the final decision always rests with the human. Even the smartest code cannot replace a doctor's empathy and clinical judgment, but it can shorten the path of a drug to the pharmacy shelf and assist doctors in the early diagnosis of diseases.
Anna Karpenko, a research fellow at the Laboratory of Mathematical Cybernetics, described how technology enables rapid drug discovery, a process that previously took decades. "The resulting molecules demonstrated good efficacy and low toxicity; they are currently undergoing biological testing," Karpenko shared.
Eduard Snezhko, head of the Laboratory of Medical Image Analysis, presented another unique development. This is a program that analyzes lung X-rays with a mathematical precision unimaginable to the human eye. The algorithm detects the slightest tissue changes, allowing for the diagnosis of cancer or pneumonia at the earliest stages, when the chances for a full recovery are highest.
The UIPI NAS of Belarus's technologies extend far beyond the country's borders. The report highlighted successful international collaborations, including joint database screening with Shanghai University to search for COVID-19 treatments.
The potential of this area was confirmed by Vladimir Stepanovich Karanik, Chairman of the Presidium of the NAS of Belarus: "It offers the opportunity to accelerate the development of new drugs most in demand by our patients, so that this laboratory process takes less time, not years or decades. It's clear that the clinical trials, safety, and efficacy assessments (everything related to human safety) will be carried out in a traditional manner."
The digital brain suggests options and complements the specialist, but the final decision always rests with the human. Even the smartest code cannot replace a doctor's empathy and clinical judgment, but it can shorten the path of a drug to the pharmacy shelf and assist doctors in the early diagnosis of diseases.