HEALTHCARE
A lot of us with smartphones today know how Google performs various functions based on voice command. It doesn’t require us to even slightly move our fingers. As technology advances on a daily basis and continues to make our life simpler, there’s another thing happening simultaneously. Human beings are now becoming extremely reliant on technology to do everything for them, thus not making use of their own abilities. The very same thing they used, to create and invent is now losing its prominence. And with this comes a sedentary lifestyle which in turn leads to diseases.
Skip to February 2018 and technology even has a solution for it. In a recent press conference, Google unveiled its plans to foray into the medical/healthcare field. Google’s subsidiary Verily has stated that “with the use of AI they can predict heart diseases and even a patient’s death”. The AI uses photographs of the back area of the eye called, the Retinal Fundus to predict whether or not the person may suffer from a heart disease.
According to some researchers, doctors tend to spend more time in reading up on the history of a patient’s life with regard to the lifestyle, food, etc. compared to the time of the treatment period .With this move, Google aims to give doctors the ability to diagnose such conditions quickly and easily. It can also be considered as an advantage for the patient as they won’t need to be pricked by a needle.
This is indeed a big change for the healthcare industry, where the reigns of treating human beings are passed by another human being to a machine. As strange it may sound, it is considered a major advancement in saving lives without having to waste any time in diagnosis.
The Big Switch
Ever since technology started advancing with smartphones, smart TVs, and the likes, reliability upon these to fulfill the lives of people has now become a top priority. AI is a similar switch with bigger organizations wanting to get the best for their consumers. With the way, the world functions today, time is a precious commodity that no one would want to waste. Even if it means a quick fix for their health issues.
In addition, the expense of going from one hospital to another for cross-references can be avoided. Time saved is a life saved, when it comes to the healthcare industry. This is where Google is playing its part. In order to save time, the use of artificial intelligence seems to be a better option. Though not yet mainstream, it’s something the world is looking forward to.
The Good and Bad of AI
We are aware of how doctors have been using 3D high definition technology in sonography, to detect any abnormalities in an unborn child. In a similar manner, AI has so far proven to be efficient enough. Using the data from multiple patients’ record and comparing it with the patient’s own past symptoms, the AI can up to 70% correctly identify what exactly the patient is suffering from.
As the researchers envision it, upon further improvements, AI may completely replace any present tech and find the ability to take major medical decisions for the doctors and evolve into the ‘next big thing’.
But, not everything looks as rosy as it is. If there are developments to a major level, there are also chances of a malfunction, which may lead to an error in diagnosis and faulty medical procedures, which could prove to be devastating. Thus it requires an immense and extreme amount of work and caution must be exercised.
People v/s AI – People with AI
Though a fairly new form of technology, people haven’t entirely accepted this new form, mostly for safety purposes. Putting in brains and thoughts in the mind of virtual machines can make them think and when they do that, humans can be at a major risk of advanced intelligence that can evolve and adapt to any scenario.
If humans learn to control AI in the right way, steer it towards the right direction, it can prove to be extremely useful. It will mean extra productivity for any occupation out there which will, in turn, boost the economy. AI is known for its incredible precision, low error rate compared to humans and is able to perform under any circumstances and in any kind of atmosphere. Be it outer space or underground they’re capable of working through any terrain.
The prospect may seem exciting but one side of a coin can be hard to choose from. If chosen with a well thought out strategy, which involves the benefit of organizations or businesses it can help nations do wonders.
The world is evolving, the future is evolving, what remains to be seen, is if this evolution will be towards welfare of mankind.
