South Korean tech giant Samsung announced Wednesday that it will buy French artificial intelligence company Sonio to improve its cutting-edge medical diagnostic systems.
In recent years, there has been a surge in the employ of artificial intelligence across many disciplines and industries, including healthcare, and companies around the world are investing heavily to incorporate it into their products.
The company’s statement said Sonio’s purchase by medical equipment maker Samsung Medison, a subsidiary of global chip and smartphone giant Samsung Electronics, will improve maternity care with artificial intelligence-enhanced ultrasound systems.
“The collaboration with Sonio will combine best-in-class ultrasound artificial intelligence technology and reporting capabilities, bringing a paradigm shift to prenatal ultrasound,” said Yong Kwan Kim, CEO of Samsung Medison.
According to public financial data, Samsung will acquire all of Sonio’s shares for 126 billion won (about $92 million).
The transaction requires regulatory approvals, including those issued by France. After its completion, Sonio’s headquarters will remain in France.
“In addition to working closely with Samsung Medison, as an independent company, Sonio will continue to advance medical reporting technology and diagnostic software around the world, including in underserved areas,” said Cecile Brosset, CEO of Sonio.
Sonio’s artificial intelligence technology uses machine learning to improve ultrasound accuracy, quality and analysis.
Sonio Detect, approved for employ in the United States, helps analyze images of the fetus, including brain and heart structures.
The acquisition is Samsung’s latest move to strengthen its artificial intelligence offerings.
Samsung Electronics is the world’s largest maker of memory chips, including versions used in high-end AI hardware from industry leaders such as Nvidia.
The company is also one of the largest smartphone manufacturers in the world, and the latest models presented in January employ its own Galaxy AI technology.
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