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We are very used to a world where the smartest thing on the planet is us. And we are, either wisely or not, changing that. We are building something smarter than us, way smarter than us.
Nowhere is this shift more powerful than in healthcare. AI is still finding its way here, but people are all in because it brings real promise and hope for a healthier future.
AI can provide health advice, which is especially important since doctors are in short supply — even in wealthy countries that invest heavily in healthcare. For instance, the United States faces a projected shortage of up to 124,000 physicians by 2034. As you move into poorer countries, where healthcare resources are even more limited, many people may never see a doctor in their entire life. In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, there are often fewer than 0.2 doctors per 1,000 people, leaving many reliant on community health workers for basic medical needs.
For example, Sybil—is an AI model developed by researchers at MIT to assess the risk of lung cancer by analyzing CT scan images. Unlike traditional methods, Sybil doesn't rely on radiologists to flag cancerous signs, instead, it predicts a patient's likelihood of developing lung cancer within six years, even in the absence of visible signs of the disease. This model has shown strong predictive power, helping doctors identify patients who may develop lung cancer before it becomes detectable, potentially saving lives through earlier intervention.
Similar to this technology and others currently being researched and developed, AI addresses very complex problems. We're still living in a world of scarcity, with a shortage of doctors. The fact that AI is set to accelerate advancements in these areas is definitely something worth discussing—and perhaps even celebrating.
Let’s explore why it is a genuine need in the healthcare industry.
The growing financial burden
One of the biggest challenges is the rising cost of healthcare. As more people develop chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease, they require ongoing care, especially as they age. Coupled with the rising costs of treating these conditions, the financial burden continues to grow, adding strain to both individuals and healthcare systems.
How AI can help
AI-assisted diagnostics can help reduce costs by catching diseases earlier, allowing for less invasive and more affordable treatments. By providing precise diagnoses at an early stage, tech could help patients avoid multiple tests and expensive procedures, leading to better outcomes without adding unnecessary financial strain.
For example, AI-driven predictive analytics can help identify at-risk patients and facilitate preventive measures, ultimately lowering overall healthcare expenses.
Tools like IBM Watson and Google Health's AI models are being used to analyze patient data, identify patterns, and predict potential health risks before they become critical. By integrating data from electronic health records, wearable devices, and other sources, these AI tools provide actionable insights that enable healthcare providers to offer targeted interventions, personalized care plans, and early lifestyle recommendations, thereby reducing the long-term costs associated with chronic conditions.
Scarcity of doctors
As the global population continues to grow and age, there are simply not enough healthcare professionals to meet the rising demand. The U.S. alone is projected to face a shortage of between 37,800 and 124,000 physicians, with both primary and speciality care sectors affected.
Patients often face longer wait times, and healthcare providers are overloaded with cases, limiting the attention they can give to each individual patient.
How AI can help
AI virtual assistants and chatbots can take on routine tasks such as scheduling appointments, answering common patient questions, and monitoring chronic conditions.
This frees up doctors to focus on more complex cases, reducing their workload and the risk of burnout while still ensuring timely care for all patients.
AI-driven search tools make patient data immediately accessible, allowing healthcare professionals to make faster, more informed decisions.
Tools like Nuance's DAX (Dragon Ambient eXperience) and Babylon Health's AI assistant are already being used to streamline administrative tasks and provide real-time support, enabling doctors to dedicate more time to direct patient care and complex decision-making.
Putting data overload to use
Healthcare providers generate large volumes of data, including patient records and research findings, but much of it goes unused because healthcare professionals often lack the time and resources to fully process it. In fact, studies estimate that approximately 97% of healthcare imaging data goes unused, leaving a significant opportunity for technology to help make sense of it all.
How AI can make it better
AI-based solutions are transforming data usage in healthcare. AI tools analyze large datasets, identifying critical insights and supporting faster decision-making.
This has proven valuable for diagnostics—Scientists at Harvard Medical School have developed a versatile AI model similar to ChatGPT, designed to perform a range of diagnostic tasks across various types of cancers. This AI system, named CHIEF, is capable of detecting cancer, predicting tumour genetics, and estimating patient survival based on histopathology images. The model was trained on millions of images from diverse cancer types and has been shown to outperform existing AI methods in accuracy, making it a promising tool for supporting clinical decision-making in cancer care.
AI-assisted solutions like these provide real-time synthesis of information, giving clinicians immediate access to relevant and reliable information. This supports decision-making, reduces administrative tasks, and allows the healthcare workforce to focus more on patient care.
Some real-world applications
1.AiCure
AiCure uses advanced AI algorithms to monitor patient behavior and confirm medication intake through a smartphone app. The app reminds patients, confirms medication intake and sends this information to healthcare providers.
This tech has shown success in improving adherence to treatment, particularly for conditions that require consistent medication.
2.Tempus
Tempus is an American health tech company. It supports healthcare professionals in making a more informed decision. Tempus relies on machine learning to analyze genetic and clinical data, helping create more personalized treatments and precision medicine solutions for oncology, cardiology, and depression.
3.HealthTap
HealthTap is a U.S.-based primary care platform that offers affordable services with or without insurance. They focus on making healthcare accessible through virtual consultations.
Natural Language Processing (NLP) powers HealthTap's virtual assistant, which helps guide patients through symptom checks and provides health information. This technology supports patient engagement and helps reduce the workload for healthcare providers.
AI + healthcare, a future worth building
AI holds the promise to transform healthcare by taking care of some of the industry's most challenging issues.
Beyond automating tasks or improving diagnosis accuracy, AI has the potential to help healthcare providers focus on what matters most—patient care and help with a better work-life balance.
The path forward requires strong partnerships between AI companies and healthcare organizations, with a shared focus on meaningful, patient-centred outcomes, as well as sustainable profitability.
To make this vision a reality, it is extremely important that AI-assisted solutions are implemented responsibly, ensuring they are cost-effective and inclusive, leaving no one behind.
We believe that with ongoing research, thoughtful development, and a human-centered approach, technology is not only going to get smarter but also become a valuable ally, transforming healthcare into a system that addresses current challenges, genuinely improves people’s lives, supports families, and uplifts the dedicated workforce behind it.
This future is one where, with the help of AI, healthcare professionals can focus on what they do best—healing, connecting, and instilling hope.