WSJ's Year in Review: What’s Ahead for Data

Technology keeps on transforming our lives in every aspect of it. The way we live, eat, work and play, everything is being impacted by technology. And technology is being driven by data. This special report by WSJ explores where data science is headed, from AI in healthcare to wearable technology capable of enhancing your performance.

Here are stories from 2023 that look ahead at the evolution of data.

How your dog or cat could help speed up your health tests 

In a pathbreaking shift, medical diagnostics are set to become faster and more efficient, thanks to advances initially tested in veterinary clinics. 

Researchers are leveraging AI tools trained on pets' medical data, such as tests for hookworms and other parasites. 

This innovative approach is dramatically speeding up test results, reducing wait times from hours to mere minutes. These rapid advancements in veterinary medicine are not only benefiting pets but are also being adapted to enhance human diagnostics, potentially transforming the way we receive healthcare information. 

The devices that will read your brain—and enhance it

You have a looming deadline yet you can't focus on your work. You’re sleepy, easily distracted and ready to give up on the deadline. Now imagine you have a pair of headphones that can detect your lack of focus, sleepiness and fatigue, through your brainwaves. The headphones beam a signal and voila! You are energized and good to go. 

That is the future of wearables. Devices that can detect your brainwaves and enhance youe brain’s performance are in development. 

Right now, the market for devices that can read brain activity and translate it into actions is in its infancy. But, thanks in part to Elon Musk’s startup Neuralink, which is developing implantable brain-computer interfaces—or BCIs—that can record data from thousands of brain cells, investment and interest in these devices have soared in recent years.

New wearable devices designed to provide feedback during day-to-day activities build on implantable BCIs used for medical interventions, as well as decades of research into how the brain works. 

J&J hired thousands of data scientists. Will the strategy pay off?

Johnson & Johnson, a 137-year-old pharmaceutical giant, is heavily investing in data science and AI to enhance its healthcare services.

The company has recruited 6,000 data scientists and digital experts in recent years, dedicating hundreds of millions of dollars to projects like analyzing extensive health-record datasets with AI. Additionally, Johnson & Johnson recently opened a high-tech research facility near San Francisco, focusing on advanced data science, signaling its commitment to integrating cutting-edge technology in healthcare.

Innovative diagnostic tools are being developed using AI and VR technology. One such tool is an algorithm designed to detect severe types of high blood pressure earlier than traditional methods. Another breakthrough involves voice-recognition technology that can identify early signs of Alzheimer’s disease from speech patterns.

Medical studies are too white. How science is working to get better data

Researchers are actively looking to diversify medical studies by building trust with and including people of color.

This involves creating research sites in diverse communities, collaborating with doctors and patients from these groups, and providing financial support for study participants to cover expenses like travel and childcare.

These efforts are proving to be a success as more and more diverse populations are participating in medical research. This is significant because historically, clinical trial data, which is vital for drug approval and AI training in medical decision-making, has overlooked a large section of the society.

A new way to​ tell deepfakes from real photos: Can it work?

“Can we build an AI deepfake detector?” was the initial idea when work started four years ago in an effort to create a standard for online images, says Dana Rao, general counsel and chief trust officer at Adobe, maker of Photoshop. Adobe is one of the companies spearheading the Content Authenticity Initiative, a global coalition of 2,000 members from tech, policy and media.

Instead of detecting fakes, this effort aims to authenticate and track online images from the start. 

Read this interview with Rao to understand how efforts are being made to keep the internet informed on deepfakes.