31 Jan
WHAT IS NEXT FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE – HEALTHCARE?
Have you heard the word Artificial Intelligence, commonly called AI? I am sure you have, as today AI is revolutionizing the entire technology industry and has found its application in almost all fields including science, business, education, military, supply chain, logistics, and finance.
As like many of you, when I heard about AI around 7-8 years back, I said to myself “Simulation of human intelligence by machines- Not possible or perhaps far from reality” but technology has caught up fast since.
My first real-time counter with AI application was when I (in the US) already found myself amidst its applications including voice-powered personal assistants like Amazon Alexa and self-driving cars like Tesla. I became aware that we all have been using AI in more ways than we had ever known in our everyday life.
Amazon.com transactions and buyers’ online behaviors are powered by AI, and so is Netflix’s highly predictive technology based on users’ movie-watching patterns based on AI algorithms are few such examples.
As a healthcare professional, I have been looking forward to AI’s application in our field. Today the medical field globally is ready for a major shift. From early and precise diagnosis of diseases to clinical decision-making techniques to analytics and care processes, AI is poised to be used in all stages of the patient care continuum.
One such application that has fascinated me is Robotics Surgery.
Robots nowadays assist surgeons in performing complex surgical procedures with minimally invasive, more precise, flexible, and controlled surgery. Robot-assisted surgeries are commonly employed for prostatectomy, cardiac valve repair, hair transplants, gynecological and bronchoscope procedures.
As I am extremely excited about Artificial Intelligence, I am also a little skeptical about the technology and have inhibitions. How about the risk of data insecurity, data bias, and algorithm biases? Are the industry stakeholders including doctors, pharmacists, health system leaders, and providers ready for the rapidly changing roles and responsibilities?
Written By:
Prof (Dr.) Sushma Chaturvedi
SGT College of Pharmacy
SGT University Gurugram
