AI Restores Sight in Untreatable Form of Blindness

A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine shows how devices using artificial intelligence can help peopel regain central vision. This offers hope for those with vision loss from geographic atrophy caused by age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh, Stanford, and the University of Bonn created advanced hardware and AI software to restore vision lost due to geographic atrophy from AMD. The team was led by josé-Alain Sahel, M.D., Daniel Palanker, Ph.D., and Frank Holz, M.D.

Age-related macular degeneration is a leading cause of blindness worldwide, along with cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and problems with vision correction, according to the World Health Association. A study in The Lancet Global Health estimates that over 1.76 billion people will have vision loss by 2050 – about 980 million women and 781 million men.

AMD affects the macula, the center of the retina, causing loss of detailed central vision.Central vision is what you use to see directly in front of you and is important for everyday tasks like driving, watching movies, using a smartphone, checking social media, and reading. It’s usually sharper than peripheral vision because your eyes focus on what you’re looking at.

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