Myopia management educator Myopia Profile is opening up its AI-powered myopia assistant Ask Kate for families during Myopia Awareness Week, 18–24 May. 

Trained exclusively on Myopia Profile’s peer-reviewed, clinically validated content, the new consumer version is available on MyKidsVision.org  and is designed to help parents and caregivers better understand childhood myopia, ask questions in plain language and navigate treatment options with confidence.  

Ask Kate was designed for eyecare professionals (ECPs) on Myopia Profile’s professional platform to improve access to trusted, evidence-based guidance on childhood myopia, said Dr Paul Gifford, co-founder of Myopia Profile. “Named after my co-founder, Dr Kate Gifford, and inspired by her global leadership in clinical myopia management, it’s a signal that even as AI becomes more common, clinicians still need sources they can trust.  

“Our preliminary research found that nine in 10 ECPs surveyed have used an AI tool in the past year, yet when it comes to clinical myopia questions, they almost always cross-check responses before acting on them. Ask Kate was created to meet that need for fast, reliable answers grounded in evidence,” he said.  

Myopia Profile’s preliminary research also found that the majority of surveyed ECPs said they would trust an AI assistant trained exclusively on peer-reviewed, clinically validated content. In addition, more than two-thirds said they would recommend a trustworthy AI-powered parent information tool to families managing childhood myopia. 

Myopia Awareness Week was initiated in 2018 by the Brien Holden Vision Institute for ECPs and the industry to work together to increase understanding of childhood myopia.