Duke Health, Microsoft Launch Generative Artificial Intelligence Partnership

Duke Health and Microsoft have announced a five-year partnership to ethically and responsibly leverage generative artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud technology to transform healthcare.

The collaboration aims to combine Duke Health’s expertise in medical research and patient care with Microsoft’s experience in developing and deploying these technologies. The press release also indicates that the partnership will support the establishment of a Duke Health AI Innovation Lab and Center of Excellence.

"Duke Health's commitment to delivering the next generation of medicine is unwavering," said Craig Albanese, MD, chief executive officer of Duke University Health System, in the press release. "Through this collaboration, we aim to bring the future of health care into the present, crafting a new normal that is not merely innovative but transformative."

Under the partnership, Microsoft will provide Duke Health with training to build and maintain a ‘cloud-savvy [information technology (IT)] workforce.’ Additionally, the health system will tap the company to construct a secure cloud environment via Microsoft Azure, which is set to optimize IT operations, streamline clinical care, bolster health equity, and advance research.

"The partnership is a milestone in the evolution of digital health care," stated Jeffrey Ferranti, MD, senior vice president and chief digital officer of Duke Health. "Our unrivaled expertise in data science, patient care, and technology innovation synergizes perfectly with Microsoft's health care solutions and AI technology. Together, we are poised to propel Duke into the forefront of digitally-focused health systems, while simultaneously studying the reliability and safety of generative AI in health care."

The two organizations will also work to develop novel AI-based solutions to augment healthcare and support innovations in health AI, including tools designed to assist with personalized patient education and the automation of administrative tasks to reduce staff workloads, according to the press release.

Ethical considerations will be at the forefront as these technologies are developed, stakeholders noted.

"As founding members of the Coalition for Health AI, Duke University and Duke Health have provided national leadership in AI research, development and governance, making the technology more trustworthy,” explained Mary Klotman, MD, executive vice president for Health Affairs at Duke University, and dean of Duke University School of Medicine, in the press release.

“As advocates for the responsible and ethical use of AI in health care, we recognize AI's immense potential to revolutionize health care, and remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring Duke’s innovation in this area adheres to the highest ethical standards," she said.

This announcement is Microsoft’s latest bid to advance the use of AI and cloud technologies in healthcare.

In April, the company shared updates for its Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare and Azure AI Services for Health offerings, which focused on clinical trial matching, social determinants of health (SDOH) analytics, and responsible AI implementation.