According to the keynote speaker at ACR Convergence 2023, artificial intelligence, if utilized effectively, has enhanced diagnoses and enabled doctors to offer more specialized care, ultimately improving healthcare outcomes.
The speaker, Avi Goldfarb, PhD, Rotman Chair in Artificial Intelligence and Healthcare and professor of marketing, highlighted the accelerating excitement and apprehension surrounding AI in medication, particularly in the past year.
Goldfarb emphasized the significant advancements in AI technology, such as ChatGPT and other large-language models, which some believe have the potential to revolutionize healthcare. While some view these advancements as groundbreaking, others find them concerning or captivating.
The discussion on the potential of AI to revolutionize patient care contrasts with the apprehension that AI may overshadow the human element in healthcare.
Goldfarb illustrated two contrasting perspectives on AI: one optimistic, akin to the futuristic technologies in “The Jetsons” or “Star Wars,” and the other more pessimistic, resembling scenarios from “Terminator” or “The Matrix.”
Currently, AI and machine learning primarily aid in predictive tasks, particularly in healthcare for diagnosis, improving accuracy, speed, and cost-effectiveness.
Despite these advancements, Goldfarb reassured the audience that human input remains crucial in the predictive aspect of physician diagnoses, emphasizing the importance of integrating patient symptoms and contextual knowledge.
Goldfarb noted that the healthcare industry lags behind other sectors in AI adoption, suggesting a need for technology to augment patient outcomes. He proposed leveraging AI tools to potentially streamline diagnosis processes and enhance individualized patient care, especially in the face of impending labor shortages.
By utilizing AI for data collection and analysis, healthcare professionals, including rheumatologists, could optimize their time, provide tailored attention, and extend their services to underserved populations, ultimately transforming the healthcare landscape.
Goldfarb painted a compelling vision of the future of healthcare, acknowledging the mix of excitement and apprehension surrounding the potential transformations in the industry.
