The Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, in collaboration with the Faculty of Engineering, has developed "Deep GI," an artificial intelligence (AI) innovation designed to assist doctors in detecting gastrointestinal cancers with high standard performance equal to that of expert specialists. Trained on hundreds of thousands of endoscopic images, the system has received the Thai FDA approval and is being prepared for national deployment and startup commercialization.
Colorectal cancer remains the third most common cancer among Thais, and the high-risk group are people aged 50 and above. Yet with only about 1,000 endoscopy specialists in the country, Thailand faces a shortage of trained professionals to meet screening demand. Deep GI helps close this gap by serving as a "co-pilot" during endoscopic procedures, highlighting abnormal lesions mainly polyp in real time while allowing doctors to make the final diagnosis confidently and efficiently.
Deep GI Phase 1, completed in 2022, focused on detecting colorectal cancer. Its success paved the way for Deep GI Phase 2, launched in June 2025, which expands detection to gastric and bile duct cancers — making it the first AI system in the world capable of identifying all three GI organs. Gastric and bile duct cancers are difficult to diagnose in their early stages due to subtle or flat lesions, often missed by the human eye. Deep GI's with AI learning capabilities enhance accuracy, consistency, and speed of diagnosis.
In tests, the AI achieved up to 97% accuracy in colorectal cancer detection — comparable to expert physicians. New diagnostic features, known as CADx, are being developed to help classify polyps as benign or precancerous, marking a new milestone in computer-assisted diagnosis.
According to Prof. Dr. Rungsun Rerknimitr, MD, Assistant to the President for Innovation and a GI specialist, "AI trained on Thai medical data is more accurate for Thai patients. With more Deep GI systems in hospitals, we can make nationwide screening faster, broader, and more efficient."
Supported by the Board of Investment, Chulalongkorn University plans to pilot 35 Deep GI units in, many hospitals nationwide. The innovation is expected to enhance access to early cancer detection, reduce healthcare costs, and improve survival rates.
"We hope Deep GI will serve as a powerful tool for early GI cancer screening — preventing severe illness, improving quality of life, and reducing cancer-related deaths/cost in Thailand," said Prof. Dr. Rungsun.
Read more at https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/273772/
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