Breakthrough in clinical AI for cancer diagnosis: Paige and Microsoft have unveiled Virchow2 and Virchow2G, enhanced AI models for cancer pathology that promise to revolutionize cancer diagnosis and treatment.
- The new models are built on a massive dataset of over three million pathology slides from more than 800 labs across 45 countries, representing 225,000 de-identified patients.
- This diverse dataset encompasses all genders, races, ethnic groups, and regions, ensuring a comprehensive and representative foundation for the AI models.
Unprecedented scope and scale: Virchow2 and Virchow2G cover over 40 different tissue types and various staining methods, making them applicable to a wide range of cancer diagnoses.
- Virchow2G, with 1.8 billion parameters, is currently the largest pathology model ever created, setting new standards in AI training, scale, and performance.
- The models’ broad coverage allows for application across numerous cancer types, potentially improving diagnosis accuracy and efficiency across the field of oncology.
Expert perspectives: Leading figures in the field have expressed optimism about the potential impact of these new AI models on cancer research and treatment.
- Dr. Thomas Fuchs, founder and chief scientist of Paige, believes these foundation models will significantly improve the future for pathologists and advance diagnostics, targeted medications, and personalized patient care.
- Razik Yousfi, Paige’s senior vice president of technology, emphasizes that these models are making precision medicine a reality while enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of cancer diagnosis.
Practical applications: Paige has developed a clinical AI application that leverages these models to assist pathologists in cancer recognition across multiple tissue types.
- The tool enables faster and more accurate identification of potentially hazardous areas in tissue samples.
- Beyond diagnosis, Paige has created AI modules to benefit life sciences and pharmaceutical companies, aiding in therapeutic targeting, biomarker identification, and clinical trial design.
Accessibility and potential impact: The availability of these AI models to researchers and commercial entities could accelerate advancements in cancer research and treatment.
- Virchow2 is available on Hugging Face for non-commercial research, promoting collaboration and innovation within the scientific community.
- The entire suite of AI modules is now available for commercial use, potentially speeding up the development of new cancer treatments and diagnostic tools.
Broader implications: The introduction of Virchow2 and Virchow2G represents a significant step forward in the integration of AI technology in cancer research and treatment.
- By combining vast amounts of data with advanced AI technologies, Paige and Microsoft have created new opportunities for more accurate cancer prediction and personalized treatment approaches.
- As these models continue to evolve and are adopted more widely, they have the potential to significantly improve patient outcomes and accelerate the pace of oncological research.
Recent Stories
DOE fusion roadmap targets 2030s commercial deployment as AI drives $9B investment
The Department of Energy has released a new roadmap targeting commercial-scale fusion power deployment by the mid-2030s, though the plan lacks specific funding commitments and relies on scientific breakthroughs that have eluded researchers for decades. The strategy emphasizes public-private partnerships and positions AI as both a research tool and motivation for developing fusion energy to meet data centers' growing electricity demands. The big picture: The DOE's roadmap aims to "deliver the public infrastructure that supports the fusion private sector scale up in the 2030s," but acknowledges it cannot commit to specific funding levels and remains subject to Congressional appropriations. Why...
Oct 17, 2025Tying it all together: Credo’s purple cables power the $4B AI data center boom
Credo, a Silicon Valley semiconductor company specializing in data center cables and chips, has seen its stock price more than double this year to $143.61, following a 245% surge in 2024. The company's signature purple cables, which cost between $300-$500 each, have become essential infrastructure for AI data centers, positioning Credo to capitalize on the trillion-dollar AI infrastructure expansion as hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Elon Musk's xAI rapidly build out massive computing facilities. What you should know: Credo's active electrical cables (AECs) are becoming indispensable for connecting the massive GPU clusters required for AI training and inference. The company...
Oct 17, 2025Vatican launches Latin American AI network for human development
The Vatican hosted a two-day conference bringing together 50 global experts to explore how artificial intelligence can advance peace, social justice, and human development. The event launched the Latin American AI Network for Integral Human Development and established principles for ethical AI governance that prioritize human dignity over technological advancement. What you should know: The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the Vatican's research body for social issues, organized the "Digital Rerum Novarum" conference on October 16-17, combining academic research with practical AI applications. Participants included leading experts from MIT, Microsoft, Columbia University, the UN, and major European institutions. The conference...