Google Cloud has unveiled a new software program that uses artificial intelligence for medical imaging diagnostics and has already begun collaborating with Edison, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Health to improve cancer detection.

The tech giant says its Medical Imaging Suite will lead to faster, more accurate diagnoses, increased productivity for providers and improved interoperability.

"Google pioneered the use of AI and computer vision in Google Photos, Google Image Search and Google Lens, and now we're making our imaging expertise, tools and technologies available for healthcare and life sciences enterprises," said Alissa Hsu Lynch, global lead of medtech strategy and solutions for Google Cloud, in the Oct. 4 Google news release. "Our Medical Imaging Suite shows what's possible when tech and healthcare companies come together."

Hackensack Meridian Health is starting to use the program to deidentify massive amounts of imaging data and build AI algorithms to predict metastasis in patients with prostate cancer. Google is also working with tech and healthcare companies like UnitedHealth Group subsidiary Change Healthcare and Nvidia to develop tools like a cloud-based imaging exchange and AI-assisted annotation tools.

By Giles Bruce