Porat said Alphabet is also specifically working to bring its technology to improve cancer care and help with early disease detection. Earlier this year, she spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos"Google hopes AI research will further fuel progress on both detection and diagnosis," Porat wrote.Today we can't easily distinguish the cancers we need to find from those that are unlikely to cause further harm.
, which was funded by Verily. Venture arm Google Ventures has also increased investment in the health space, with life sciences now making up more than one-third of its portfolio. As a top Alphabet executive and one of the most powerful women in Silicon Valley, Porat tends to keep a low profile aside from the company's quarterly earnings announcements. When her name shows up, it's typically around issues related to Alphabet's finances, like real estate expansion, and future businesses.In Monday's blog post, she talked about how frightening her diagnoses were for her and her three children and how far they've come since.
"I was initially terrified," she wrote. "Our three kids were only five, seven, and nine at the time of my first diagnosis, and all I wanted was to live to see them grow up. I'm grateful I had options and access to treatments, but no aspect of it was pleasant. Last year, I had the joy of seeing our youngest son graduate from college."