How to transform medicine with AI

I recently realized that I was late to the airport for an international flight; Since I did not speak the local language, I used a translation application, which allowed me to convey the urgency of the situation to the taxi driver and, with another function linked to the camera, explain the road signs (so I could That’s where we were going, in real time).

This is just one example of how digital innovation, especially artificial intelligence, is changing the world. With recent studies showing that AI models are already able to identify early signs of health complications like sepsis, such technologies are also set to revolutionize medicine.

These rapid technological advances also highlight the urgency of regulating AI. The EU artificial intelligence law, whose approval is scheduled for the second half of 2024, is a clear example. This pioneering law classifies AI systems based on risk and explicitly prohibits high-risk applications (such as citizen screening and emotion recognition, which threaten personal security, civil liberties, and democratic governance).

It also highlights the importance of transparency and explainability so that users can access information about decisions made with AI.

point

The EU’s ambitious legislation provides a good starting point for a global conversation about how No use AI, but given the enormous potential of these technologies to transform health care, it is equally important to explore how they can be used to expand more human-centered aspects of medicine.

First, AI has the potential to increase compassion in medicine. For example, a recent study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine ChatGPT’s answers to health-related questions were compared with answers given by human doctors.

Interestingly, a panel of certified health care professionals preferred ChatGPT responses 79% of the time, believing they showed more empathy for patients. Previous studies have shown greater empathy and compassion to improve patient outcomes and speed recovery.

In recent years, healthcare providers have become increasingly overwhelmed with management and administrative tasks, limiting their ability to establish good clinical communication relationships with patients. This “documentation burden” usually causes burnout and impairs the quality of care.

AI-enabled platforms can provide automated answers to routine questions, schedule appointments and manage documentation, streamlining administrative processes and freeing up doctors to spend more time with patients.

But AI applications go far beyond streamlining administrative tasks. A growing body of clinical evidence shows that deep learning algorithms – trained on large data sets of medical images and patient records – can analyze X-rays, MRI images and other medical studies with astonishing accuracy, which often exceeds the diagnostic capabilities of human doctors.

Such innovations could revolutionize accurate diagnosis, facilitate early detection of diseases such as pneumonia and cancer, and support global health campaigns, especially in remote areas with limited access to specialized care. In.

prevention and ethics

Policy makers around the world are increasingly recognizing the importance of preventive health care, largely because of its economic benefits. AI is fundamental in this transformation: it interprets data from sensors and wearable devices to identify early signs of pathology, especially heart problems, and thus prevent small health problems from becoming catastrophic crises.

Additionally, smart watches and fitness trackers use AI tracking systems that can detect if the wearer is suffering from sleep apnea, and suggest they visit a doctor before serious health problems occur.

Of course, integrating AI into healthcare raises significant challenges and many ethical questions. In addition to ensuring fairness, dealing with algorithmic biases, and maintaining data privacy and security, it is important to recognize that AI cannot replace the personal touch needed in clinical practice.

Medical professionals must lead this change by using new technologies to enhance their skills. Although chatbots are unlikely to replace doctors and nurses any time soon, AI tools are already helping healthcare providers, improving the accuracy of their diagnoses and enabling more personalized, data-driven care. Have been.

Since persistent health challenges – particularly chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension – are often the result of inadequate investment in public health and a lack of social cohesion, they cannot be addressed by technological solutions alone. In such a situation, comprehensive reforms in national health policies are necessary.

By responsibly and ethically adopting emerging digital technologies, we can transform the way we diagnose, treat and prevent diseases and usher in an era of data-driven medicine, where healthcare professionals and AI systems can provide better care to everyone. Let’s work together for.

Yet, while machines can help, the ability to shape a healthy future lies with us alone.

Junaid Nabi, senior fellow at the Aspen Institute, is also a member of the World Health Organization’s working group on regulatory considerations for digital health and innovation.

© Project Syndicate 1995-2024