It’s unlikely that medical bots will replace human doctors any time soon—nor should they, a medical researcher writes. (Source: Storyblocks.com)

A Medical Researcher’s Mixed Feelings as His Profession Embraces AI Future

As AI partners with nearly every business imaginable, the one profession that has really taken off and gone all-in on AI is the medical field.

AI has delved into all areas of healthcare. The use of AI nursebots really made a splash during the pandemic. Bots were handling cleaning routines in hospitals while assisting patients with basic services like taking temperatures or blood pressures. These bots do more than free up a nurse on her shift. It helps provide healthcare to those who can least afford it. AI can be a great equalizer when it comes to basic healthcare and its costs.

The use of AI and machine learning in healthcare is the subject of a fascinating article found at becominghuman.ai. 

The fact is that AI and machine learning are getting faster and more technically proficient than ever. Many applications and projects have been developed already based on AI. Take the example of Apple Siri or the advertising algorithms that pushes products and services based on our Google search. The question though is, can AI take the place of a human and replace him or her?

Some believe we will be able to teach a robot or artificial material to perform tasks quicker and more efficiently than a human, but can they be effective as doctors?

The Future of the Family Doctor

Dr. Adam Tabriz, the author of the article, sees a definite path for AI and the medical profession to blend the best of their abilities, lowering the cost of healthcare worldwide. Referring to the belief that AI could replace physicians in the future, he says that even if it was capable, it wouldn’t be a good idea.

“Human life is not based on some algorithm or mathematical formula. It involves human relations, interactions, social environment, and perceiving life from a human perspective. A machine will not be able to perceive such things and hamper the physician-patient relationship.”

Personal choice and quality of life “interweaves in all interactions with healthcare,” Tabriz writes, noting that you can’t teach bots compassion, a uniquely human quality.

“They can’t feel pain or understand how some people can accept more pain than others. The art of medicine is the art of empathy and sympathy for the patient. It is one of the human traits that we have not figured out how to put into an algorithm.”

If used properly, AI can bring precision to medical practice and help doctors observe the patient objective through the intelligent lens of AI. Tabriz hopes to create a healthcare industry that uses technology to reduce poverty and eliminate the boundaries of politics and borders.

read more at becominghuman.ai