How 23andMe is Helping People Better Understand Their DNA
Market research firm Kalorama Information estimates the consumer market for genetic health testing could triple by 2022. 23andMe's Director of Product Science Shirley Wu explains how the testing company is differentiating itself in this growing market.
"We are the only direct-to-consumer genetic testing company that provides health related information," said Wu. "We believe that everyone has the right to their own DNA information. It's information about you--you should know it if you want to know it."
23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki has been outspoken about the company's efforts to maintain a gender-equal workforce. "It's been really great to be a part of a company like that where from the beginning we had really strong female leaders who set the vision for the company," says Wu. "There's never been a question of can women hold their own."
If you wanted to previously find an image that perfectly matched what you saw in your head online, you had to type in a wordy search inquiry and would get countless results back. Now, that mental snapshot can be crafted in seconds by artificial intelligence and sometimes it’s even better than you could imagine.
Google on Wednesday disclosed plans to infuse its dominant search engine with more advanced artificial-intelligence technology, a drive that's in response to one of the biggest threats to its long-established position as the internet's main gateway.
