Towards an Explainable AI to Predict Blastocyst Formation from Oocytes
Valencia et al., 2022
Predicting which eggs will successfully develop into embryos remains challenging. This research developed an "explainable" AI system that not only predicts whether an egg will form a blastocyst but also shows why it made that prediction. The AI analyzes features like egg size, shape, and polar body characteristics. For younger women (under 37), the AI found that cytoplasm diameter and polar body shape significantly predicted success. This transparency helps embryologists understand and trust the AI's recommendations, making it more likely to be adopted in clinical practice. The tool could help optimize treatment strategies based on egg quality assessment.