Author: Graham McLeod BSc; Jagandeep Brar BSc
Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of today’s most powerful technologies. Having already transformed the business world, AI may be poised to transform healthcare next. Current AI systems demonstrate impressive competency in certain tasks of clinical medicine. Machine learning approaches to creating AI are of particular relevance in healthcare, given the ability of modern machine learning algorithms to work with large amounts of complex data and generate intelligent predictions therefrom. Here we propose that much of what physicians do can be modelled as information processing and thus can be performed by AI. We further propose that whereas certain AI systems may adopt approaches based on novel pattern extraction and interpretation, and thus diverge from human physician cognition, AI is well-positioned to assist physicians by operating in parallel alongside them. Navigating the intersection of physician and AI competence will be a tremendous and complex challenge, but may return high rewards in improving patient outcomes and lead to transformative gains in medical knowledge. Advances in AI will have tremendous and complex impact on the future of medicine.
Keywords: artificial intelligence, machine learning, information theory, computer science, healthcare, medicine