Künstliche Intelligenz in der Krebstherapie – Artificial Intelligence in Cancer Therapy

The number of computer- and data-based tools is rapidly increasing in the field of oncology. Corresponding methods are finding their way into almost all areas of application, from diagnostic systems and tumour modelling to prognosis of disease progression. However, the sheer combinatorial complexity of this disease, resulting from more potential combinations of cancerous mutations than atoms in the universe, leads to the need for cancer treatment optimised for individual patients. The use of artificial intelligence to optimise therapeutic interventions aimed at controlling cancer within clinically meaningful limits is still a very uncharted territory that has rarely been entered beyond pure in silico experiments. In this manuscript, we explain the basics of artificial intelligence, show some applications already established today, provide a vision of an AI-controlled therapeutic system, and briefly discuss some general ethical considerations. This paper was previously published in Ordnung der Wissenschaft (OdW) Issue 01/2023 (https://ordnungderwissenschaft.de/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/02_01_mertelsmann.pdf).