The Telegraph Media Feature: Scientists create AI tongues to ‘taste’ medicine

“We run a machine learning algorithm to basically try and see what’s the chemical structure, what’s the molecular structure, what are the other chemical-physical parameters that make it bitter, and try to see if there’s a relationship,” said Dr Hend Abdelhakim, an assistant professor at the UCL Global Business School for Health.

The AI model being developed will be an open-access tool, meaning that pharmaceutical development around the world can benefit from the data on the palatability of commonly used drugs.

For many long-term medications, including those for HIV or diabetes, taste is one of the most important factors in how likely people are to adhere to the regimen they are prescribed. 

It is particularly important for vulnerable groups, including the old and very young. 

“It’s mainly a problem with children, because they have a heightened sense of taste. With chronic medications it does impact compliance. It’s not just the child being fussy,” said Dr Abdelhakim.

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