The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has launched SmartPath, a powerful artificial intelligence (AI) system designed to revolutionize how cancers are diagnosed, analyzed, and monitored.
Announced on Monday, the system was developed by a multidisciplinary research team led by Professor Chen Hao. It integrates advanced AI models to speed up pathology workflows, reduce turnaround times, and enhance personalized cancer treatment.
Built from one of the world’s largest and most diverse pathology datasets, SmartPath was trained using over 500,000 whole slide images covering 34 major tissue sites. This vast data foundation enables the system to assist in more than 100 clinical tasks, including cancer classification, subtyping, treatment response evaluation, and survival prediction.
At its core, SmartPath uses two interconnected large AI models to perform a broad range of diagnostic and prognostic functions. The first, known as the Generalizable Pathology Foundation Model (GPFM), provides a unified framework for accurate tumor identification and biomarker analysis across different tissue types.
The second is the Multimodal Knowledge enhanced Whole slide Pathology Foundation Model (mSTAR), which combines pathology images with textual and genomic data. Further, this integration also enables the system to automatically generate detailed pathology reports in minutes and respond to queries about specific slides.
According to HKUST, the system can diagnose some of Hong Kong’s most prevalent cancers, including lung, breast, colorectal, and gastric cancers. It also helps physicians assess treatment response and predict patient outcomes, making it a key step toward fully data driven precision medicine.
One of the field’s top scientific journals, Nature Biomedical Engineering, has recently published the underlying research.
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SmartPath consistently ranks first in benchmark tests
The program was engineered to function as a complete, end to end solution. From rapid initial slide analysis to AI assisted reporting, the platform helps streamline the cancer care cycle. By automatically handling routine or time consuming steps, it allows pathologists to focus on complex diagnostic decisions.
Professor Chen, Director of the Collaboration Center for Medical and Engineering Innovation at HKUST, said the project was developed through extensive collaboration with top tier hospitals in both Hong Kong and Mainland China.
He noted that working closely with over a dozen hospitals was essential for testing and refining the system under real clinical conditions.
Chen explained that SmartPath consistently ranks first in a majority of benchmark tests, showing strong performance in cancer identification, treatment response prediction, and survival estimation. He emphasized that SmartPath improves continuously through real-world use.
Each new clinical application supplies data that the system uses to refine its algorithms and improve its accuracy. In his words, SmartPath is “not a static tool but a continuously evolving system that grows smarter with every patient case.”
“We are now witnessing the future of pathology—where AI-powered systems like SmartPath seamlessly integrate into the clinical workflow, augmenting our diagnostic precision and empowering pathologists to make more informed, data-driven decisions for precise and personalized patient care,” said Professor Liang li, director of the Department of Pathology at Nanfang Hospital.
SmartPath has already entered multi-center clinical validation across several leading hospitals in the region. In trials at Nanfang Hospital, part of Southern Medical University, the program achieved accuracy levels above 95 per cent across multiple cancer types. The system also delivered detailed reports within a fraction of traditional turnaround times, helping doctors make faster, more informed decisions for patients.
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Big tech has heavily invested in medical AI
The development of SmartPath reflects a global shift toward intelligent healthcare systems.
HKUST’s SmartPath represents a milestone in the practical application of AI for precision oncology. The university has developed a platform that not only accelerates diagnosis but also enhances the accuracy of personalized treatment decisions.
HKUST’s achievement also has broader implications for the global medical AI industry. Tech companies such as Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL), Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT), and NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ: NVDA) have invested heavily in medical imaging and healthcare AI.
SmartPath’s successful integration of multimodal data suggests that academic innovation can compete with corporate research in shaping the next generation of diagnostic tools.
Furthermore, the HKUST team’s collaborative framework sets a new model for interdisciplinary research. This structure not only enables better system design but also ensures that new technologies align closely with clinical needs.
SmartPath’s future development will target rare and genetically complex cancers, where traditional diagnostic models often fall short.
In addition, the research team plans to enhance its predictive algorithms and expand its scope to improve treatment planning and patient stratification. The team also aims to support international research partnerships and extend the platform’s reach beyond Asia.
Industry analysts suggest that the emergence of systems like SmartPath could redefine how hospitals approach pathology worldwide. With its speed, precision, and adaptability, it could reduce diagnostic delays, improve patient outcomes, and lower healthcare costs. Furthermore, as AI continues to mature, similar tools may soon support radiology, cardiology, and other medical specialties.
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AI is converging with oncology and cancer care
HKUST’s SmartPath represents a milestone in the practical application of AI for precision oncology. The university has developed a platform that not only accelerates diagnosis but also enhances the accuracy of personalized treatment decisions.
It also serves as an example of how artificial intelligence is converging with oncology and cancer care and diagnosis.
Artificial intelligence now helps detect subtle imaging and molecular patterns that humans often miss. Further, it speeds image review, flags suspicious areas, and ranks cases by urgency. In treatment planning, AI matches patients to therapies based on tumour biology. AI models can forecast which patients may relapse or respond poorly.
This predictive power lets clinicians intervene earlier and tailor follow up schedules. For example, Kentucky based startup Breath Diagnostics uses a microreactor to concentrate and analyze volatile markers in breath. Its system aims to offer non-invasive screening that returns fast, actionable results.
Meanwhile, on the publicly traded side, Guardant Health (NASDAQ: GH) pairs liquid biopsy data with AI to guide targeted drugs. Its tests inform oncologists which treatments are most likely to work for patients.
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joseph@mugglehead.com
