Gubbi S, Hamet P, Tremblay J et al. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Endocrinology and Metabolism: The Dawn of a New Era. Frontiers in Endocrinology 2019; DOI 10.3389/fendo. 2019.00185.

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The rapid growth of technology in the past couple of decades has paved the way for development of novel techniques that can solve scientific questions at a rate that is far beyond the capability of humans. One such example is the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). AI is a discipline that deals with the study and design of intelligent agents, that is, devices that intricately perceive their environment and take actions that maximize the chances of achieving their goals (1). AI, in a way, mimics the structure and operating methodologies of a human brain (2). AI has two forms of application: physical and virtual (3). The physical component is mainly represented by robots. Derived from a Czech word robota, meaning “forced labor,” the physical robotic forms were conceptualized by inventors such as Leonardo Da Vinci (3). This component has been widely used in the field of endocrinology, such as robot-assisted surgery of adrenal or prostate cancer. Examples of virtual applications of AI are electronic medical records (EMR), where specific algorithms are used to identify subjects, and harness health related data (3).