(Yicai Global) Aug. 4 -- China's internet giant Tencent Holdings Ltd. [HKG:0700] has released its first application of an AI product in the medical field with the introduction of the world's first pilot clinical trial of an AI-assisted medical imaging for the early screening of esophageal cancer.

At present, the detection rate of early esophageal cancer is less than 10 percent in China, while the product's accuracy rate for detection is as high as 90 percent, internet media outlet 36kr.com said. Endoscope screening using the product takes less than four seconds, it said.

The medical research team that is working with Tencent classified hundreds and thousands of esophageal endoscopy images, said Professor Fu Jianhua, director of the Institute of Esophageal Cancer Research in Guangdong.

The doctors scored and marked the images at different levels using a double blind randomized method and then gave them to Tencent's AI team for image processing and enhancement, he said.

Tencent's AI-aided screening product has the ability to screen suspected esophageal cancer using deep learning techniques. The use of Tencent's AI-aided product to assist doctors in screening esophageal cancer can effectively improve screening accuracy and promote accurate treatment, without increasing the cost for patients, he pointed out.

"We believe that the application of artificial intelligence in various fields is still in the early or early-to-middle stages, and there will be more room for development in the long run. Therefore, Tencent will not consider commercial applications at this stage," said Chang Jia, head of Tencent Internet + Healthcare.

Tencent's AI-aided screening product has gathered a number of top artificial intelligence teams in Tencent, to integrate image recognition, deep learning and other leading-edge technology and healthcare, the firm said.

In the future, Tencent's AI-aided screening product will also support early screening for lung cancer, diabetes retinopathy, breast cancer and other diseases.