Microsoft develops AI tool that can diagnose ‘sequentially’ like a doctor

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The Straits Times. (2026, October 23). Microsoft develops AI tool that can diagnose ‘sequentially’ like a doctor. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/microsoft-develops-ai-tool-that-can-diagnose-sequentially-like-a-doctor

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The Straits Times · collected 2026-10-23 · by The Straits Times

Quick Summary

Microsoft has developed an AI tool capable of diagnosing medical cases step-by-step, similar to how doctors work, as reported on October 22 in Science. This AI model uses a novel "orchestrator" that simulates collaboration among clinical experts to decide what questions to ask patients and which tests to order, outperforming general physicians by more than twice in solving complex medical cases. Additionally, the tool was found to be more cost-effective in its diagnostic processes compared to human doctors.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-23, using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the same event (that is the story summary below).

AI analysis runs on qwen2.5:14b, locally

Story summary

Microsoft researchers have developed an artificial intelligence tool capable of diagnosing patients step-by-step like a doctor, according to a study published in the journal Science on October 22. The AI model was tested on 300 complex medical cases and proved more than twice as accurate as general physicians using textbooks and the internet. This new approach uses an "orchestrator" that coordinates questions for patients, relevant exams, and tests, simulating a panel of clinical experts to solve diagnostic dilemmas sequentially. Unlike existing AI models that take an all-at-once approach by analyzing all patient data simultaneously, Microsoft’s tool makes decisions based on gathered information at each step, ensuring more accurate diagnoses. The research was conducted in collaboration with the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

Written for “Microsoft AI Diagnostic Tool” on 2026-10-23, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Microsoft AI Diagnostic Tool
Technology · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

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Claims extracted
16
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
12%
2 of 16 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
68/100
The Straits Times's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
Technology
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-10-23 · how these are computed

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Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

The Straits Times · 3402 article(s) · 4 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 4 correction(s)

Who wrote this

The Straits Times
2157 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
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🔮 The model identifies and coordinates the questions that should be asked of a patient, as well as the exams and tests that should be ordered, using an “orchestrator” that organises how AI will tackle a problem by employing a simulated panel of clinical experts collaborating to solve diagnostic cases, according to the report.
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Topics

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Boston Microsoft Microsoft AI Health Washington

Subjects

Microsoft ORG · 3× Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center ORG · 1× Boston GPE · 1× Dominic King PERSON · 1× Harsha Nori PERSON · 1× Microsoft AI Health ORG · 1× REUTERS ORG · 1× Washington GPE · 1×

Narrative

Tasked with diagnosing more than 300 highly unusual and confusing medical dilemmas, the model employing the diagnostic orchestrator was more than twice as accurate at “working up” the patient and determining the diagnosis as general physicians using textbooks and the internet.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-23
🔮 The model identifies and coordinates the questions that should be asked of a patient, as well as the exams and tests that should be ordered, using an “orchestrator” that organises how AI will tackle a problem by employing a simulated panel of clinical experts collaborating to solve diagnostic cases, according to the report.
2026-10-23 · The Straits Times
Microsoft develops AI tool that can diagnose ‘sequentially’ like a doctor · assertive framing

Claims (16 extracted, 2 hedged)

Microsoft develops AI tool that can diagnose ‘sequentially’ like a doctor AI generated Washington - asserted
AI → develop → doctor
Microsoft researchers say an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that diagnoses patients step by step, as doctors do, was more than twice as accurate as general physicians at solving complex medical cases, according to a study published in the journal Science on Oct 22. uncertain
doctors → say → Oct
The model identifies and coordinates the questions that should be asked of a patient, as well as the exams and tests that should be ordered, using an “orchestrator” that organises how AI will tackle a problem by employing a simulated panel of clinical experts collaborating to solve diagnostic cases, according to the report. uncertain
AI → identify → report
Existing medical AI models typically take an all-at-once approach that examines all of a patient’s symptoms, lab results and imaging studies to generate a diagnosis. asserted
that → exist → diagnosis
With the orchestrator coordinating the steps to reaching a diagnosis, the AI model first decides what to ask about the patient’s history and what is significant in the physical exam. asserted
what → coordinate → exam
Based on what it learns, it decides which tests to order, considers the results, and orders further testing as appropriate. asserted
it → base → testing
All the while, it is updating its working hypotheses and plans, the research leaders said in an interview. asserted
leaders → update → interview
Tasked with diagnosing more than 300 highly unusual and confusing medical dilemmas, the model employing the diagnostic orchestrator was more than twice as accurate at “working up” the patient and determining the diagnosis as general physicians using textbooks and the internet. asserted
model → task → textbooks
The tool also outperformed human physicians when presented with scenarios drawn from a major database of emergency room admissions. asserted
tool → outperform → admissions
Assessments comparing these types of older systems to human doctors usually use multiple-choice questions, the researchers said. asserted
researchers → compare → questions
“AI has become very good at getting a 100% pass rate on those,” said Dr Dominic King, the corporate vice-president of the health unit at Microsoft AI, whose team is developing the new technology. asserted
team → become → technology
“But of course, that’s not real-world. asserted
that → ’ → course
No patient ever came to see me with a nice summary.” The researchers also found that diagnostic processes cost less when the orchestrator designs the work-ups than when human doctors do. asserted
doctors → come → ups
“We’re not just measuring the accuracy of the systems. asserted
We → measure → systems
We’re also measuring how judiciously and carefully it goes through a diagnostic work-up,” said Harsha Nori, head of AI at Microsoft AI Health. asserted
Nori → measure → Health
In a collaboration with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, the researchers will next test the tool’s ability to triage patients in emergency department waiting rooms. asserted
researchers → test → rooms
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