A.I. in Society and its Future: what does it mean? Women in STEM answers the question

September 27, 2024

By Advocate for HER

In today’s rapidly advancing world, Artificial Intelligence, also known as AI, has begun playing a role in several fields and industries. Of those, artificial intelligence began playing a role in the medical field, possibly advancing in the future. According to a recent article by Los Angeles Pacific University, AI is used in diagnosis, transcribing medical documents, drug discovery and development, and administrative efficiency. For instance, in diagnosing patients, AI is used in MRIs, CT scans, and X-rays. Moreover, a few examples of AI technologies used in healthcare include Natural Language Processing–which allows computers to interpret and use human languages–and Rule-Based Expert Systems. These AI technologies are also used in other industries, including engineering. In healthcare, artificial intelligence is focused on improving safety (cybersecurity, for instance), reducing human error through documenting and diagnosing, and improving patient outcomes (LA Pacific University).

Additionally, according to the National Library of Medicine, AI is expected to be used in limited amounts in clinical settings within five years and increased in ten years, showing the change in the role of artificial intelligence in healthcare. However, although the use of AI would make healthcare faster, safer, and more efficient, there are negative aspects of the increased use of AI in the medical industry. These disadvantages include, as stated on the LA Pacific University website, “...ethical concerns and data privacy issues, potential job displacement and human-AI collaboration challenges, reliability and trust issues in AI-driven decision-making.” Although AI would aid in reducing healthcare costs and even make processes more effective, it would also have a potential negative effect on the economy due to job displacement. The extensive use of AI in the future will lead to a decreased number of jobs, such as in healthcare (Radiology, for example), as AI takes over because of the lack of potential to make errors. The use of Artificial Intelligence can have many advantages in industries, but it must be used properly to prevent the negative impacts of AI in these industries.