Some software errs on the side of caution too often, it is claimed Katyanna Quach Tue 12 Jan 2021 // 08:33 UTC Share Copy A number of AI programs trained to detect diabetic eye damage struggle to perform consistently in the real world despite apparently excelling in clinical tests, say scientists in the US. Academics led by the University of Washington School of Medicine tested seven algorithms from five companies: Eyenuk and Retina-AI Health in America, Airdoc in China, Retmaker of Portugal, and OphtAI in France. All of the models have gone through clinical studies, and are used – or can be used –to diagnose diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes that damages blood vessels in the eye, leading to impaired vision or blindness.