The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare has recently attracted considerable investments and made headlines. ChatGPT (Chat Generative Pretrained Transformer) created by the US tech company OpenAI has been making waves since November 2022. Many argue that, due to its artificial intelligence capabilities, AI should eventually replace human physicians. Advocates for this point to the increased availability and lower costs it can bring and the elimination of risks of mutual infection.
On the other hand, skeptics worry that AI-driven technology might be overhyped and not always in the best interest of patients. Even if AI technology shows evidence of being superior to medical professionals, would it be right to replace humans with machines?
According to Dr Muiris Houston, simulated empathy can never replace human forms of communication. Human doctors understand what patients are going through, offer comfort, and are able to identify and respond to the patient’s values, non-verbal communication, and social life. AI may have the potential to help with data analysis and processing, but Houston stands firm that there is always a place for human empathy and connection.
A survey conducted by Yale University showed that out of 926 responders, most were very concerned or somewhat concerned about the potential unintended consequences of AI and its impact on privacy, cost of healthcare, and the time a doctor spends with the patient.
Ultimately, AI and human doctors need to work side by side in a partnership of trust and mutual respect. AI-driven technologies can help doctors become more comfortable with the latest evidence-based practices, however, it can never replace true human empathy and trust that only a doctor can offer.
OpenAI is an American artificial intelligence research laboratory owned by Elon Musk and led by technology entrepreneurs Greg Brockman, Ilya Sutskever, and Wojciech Zaremba. Founded in 2015, the company is focused on discovering and enacting the path to safe artificial general intelligence, and has developed tools such as the GPT-2 language prediction generator since its inception.
Dr. Muiris Houston is an Associate Professor in the Department of Public Health at Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, and a Specialist Registrar in Infectious Diseases at St. Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin. He is an expert in the discipline of infection control and infectious diseases, as well as in developing standardized protocols for infectious diseases. In addition, he is an experienced author, public speaker, and public health advocate.
