(ThySistas.com) Recent successes in artificial intelligence have got people thinking: what if AI could be used to help women recover from illness and live better lives?
It might sound far-fetched, but thanks to companies like IBM, it’s fast becoming a reality. AI is able to read vast swathes of information online and in medical journals, as well as process patient data, far faster than a human. And then it is able to use those data to come to rational decisions about what direction that treatment should take.
IBM isn’t the only tech giant trying to muscle its way into the health space. Google has been investing in the health applications of artificial intelligence through one of its subsidiaries for many years now, hoping to cure fundamental problems, like aging. And Facebook has committed billions of dollars to defeat global diseases by 2100.
Today, though, the uses of AI are modest, yet still impressive.
Analytics And Research
Perhaps the most impressive thing that AIs can do right now is take massive amounts of data and find useful patterns. For years, medics have been training AIs using data from X-ray machines and MRI scans. These training materials have made artificial intelligence very good at pinpointing the markers of disease in the scans of patients. Over time, these systems have become much more accurate to the point where they can actually outperform doctors themselves in diagnosing things like breast cancer.
The most famous example of this technology is IBM’s Watson, a sort of artificial intelligence that is able to process data from patients and suggest optimal treatment courses. But we’re also seeing this technology being deployed more widely. With the rise of the Dr app, many companies are now investing in ways to use artificial intelligence to augment the recommendations that doctors make. Effectively, intelligent machines are helping doctors make better diagnoses and recommendations to patients.
Personal Life Coaches
Over the years, doctors have discovered that staying in contact with patients is the best way to make sure that they take their medication and complete their course. But staying in touch is expensive. This is why technologists in the health field want to develop personal assistant bots: artificial intelligence systems that gently remind patients that they need to take their medicine if they want to get better.
Personal life coaches are also being deployed for lifestyle reasons. Often patients struggle to make lasting changes to their diet or exercise routine, despite the fact that they have been prescribed them by the doctor. With the rise of wearable devices and smartphones with sophisticated sensors, it’s now possible for AIs to track patients through their day and prompt them if they eat too many sugary snacks or fail to take enough exercise.
It is hoped in the future that these intelligent systems will learn about an individual from their behavior and offer tailored advice.
Health Bots
The health service is currently very expensive, and so providers are looking for ways to cut costs. One of the ways that they may do this is to get rid of their customer service personnel and replace them with health bots. These bots could do things like schedule appointment, help with medications or assist customers with their billing.
Staff Writer; Lisa Day