DeepMind Develops Blockchain-Based System for Transparent Medical Record Tracking

VCBeat has learned that DeepMind, the artificial intelligence company under Alphabet (Google’s parent company), is building a blockchain-like system to track the use of patient data.

It is evident that DeepMind is rapidly expanding its healthcare initiatives and has announced the development of a tool called “Verifiable Data Auditing” to be launched within this year. The purpose of this initiative is to enable hospitals, and even patients, to know who is accessing medical health records, as well as the specific uses and purposes for such access.

This type of blockchain system employs cryptographic mathematics to ensure accurate recording of past events. Each time a piece of data is used, a new code is generated based on all prior activities. This means that if anyone later tampers with previous records—for instance, to conceal their use of a specific data block for particular purposes—the system will corrupt the data record and rapidly expose the violation.

VCBeat has learned that the tool will first be deployed for subsequent related testing at hospitals in the UK that collaborate with DeepMind, including the Royal Free Hospital in London. DeepMind stated that hospital staff will be able to monitor real-time data usage by the company and set up automated alerts to flag any anomalous use. When the time is right, hospitals will grant patients access to this service.

In fact, as early as December 2016, DeepMind had already begun leveraging this software in a more transparent manner through distributed and non-interventionist approaches. To this end, it recruited top cryptographer Ben Laurie, along with other software engineers well-versed in blockchain technology and cryptography.

However, this process will not be straightforward. Healthcare records in the UK are highly fragmented. If there are any opportunities to expand to other data systems in the future, DeepMind needs to ensure that it can operate compatibly across different database systems. It also needs to find ways to ensure proper recording of data usage, in case the software is able to transfer information to other programs during a brief period of use.

Nevertheless, DeepMind’s efforts are worthwhile, as blockchain technology will provide secure and transparent support for its infrastructure. The company is rapidly developing a diverse array of healthcare tools, including software that alerts medical personnel to early warning signs of patient deterioration, AI systems for diagnosing eye diseases, and machine learning approaches to guide cancer treatment.

Data security has long been a stumbling block in DeepMind’s development. When DeepMind first entered the healthcare sector, it faced criticism for sharing extensive data with the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), while making very little data available to the public. Concerns over data privacy and security have persisted.

Mustafa Suleyman, co-founder of DeepMind, stated that data audit tools had already been under development for quite some time. However, this was clearly just an initial attempt; their future potential is boundless, helping to create incredibly clear audit trails.

This development further demonstrates that blockchain technology is rapidly distancing itself from its notorious association with Bitcoin. While the technology indeed underpins the cryptocurrency, distributed ledger technology can be applied to many other areas. Maersk, the world’s largest shipping company, has been using blockchain to track cargo, and Walmart employs it to record product provenance to enhance health and safety standards. Now, in the field of medical data recording, blockchain is demonstrating its power.