Google has been getting better at reading handwritten text, according to a study released Wednesday. The study, conducted by the company’s Google Handwriting Project, found that the search engine can now correctly identify 95 percent of words written in cursive. The improvement is especially notable given that cursive writing is not typically taught in schools. “We’re really excited about this progress,” said Google Handwriting Project director Jitendra Malik. “Cursive writing is an important part of history and culture, and we want to make sure that Google can read it correctly.” ..
Google has announced in its annual India event that it’s working with pharmacists to decipher the handwriting of doctors, and make prescriptions easier to read with the help of technology. To that effect, the company is working on a solution that will allow you to upload a picture of a prescription and have Google decode it and give you the names of the prescribed medicines, as well as their dosage and instructions.
Google makes it clear that “no decision will be made solely based on the output provided by this technology.” Instead, this is made to help pharmacists that are trying, and struggling, to read prescriptions — if they have doubts over specific items in the prescription, Google’s AI magic can help them double-check and make sure that you’re actually getting what your doctor prescribed for you.
Once this rolls out, your pharmacist’s life should be made a little easier, although they might still need to call your doctor for triple-checking every once in a while.
Source: TechCrunch
