Can artificial intelligence detect autism doctors miss? US study wants to find out

Dawson and her colleagues are testing an app that Duke has patented to harness that power. It uses artificial intelligence to analyze toddlers’ movements, eye positions, and facial expressions, among other things, to help predict who has autism. — Image by vectorjuice on Freepik

When most toddlers diagnosed with autism sit still, their heads sway very slightly back and forth.

That movement is an extremely reliable way to distinguish between a neurotypical and autistic child, research has shown. But it’s almost imperceptible to even a seasoned clinician.