As artificial intelligence (AI) tools become more prevalent in healthcare, there are both promises and concerns surrounding their use. UC Santa Cruz Politics Department doctoral candidate Lucia Vitale conducted research on the current state of AI in healthcare, highlighting the potential benefits such as managing supply chains, monitoring outbreaks, making diagnoses, and reducing equity gaps in access to care. However, there are worries about privacy rights, biases in AI models, lack of transparency in decision-making, potential discrimination by insurance companies, and the possibility of patient care mistakes.
Vitale and her coauthor Leah Shipton analyzed the trajectory of AI in healthcare, pointing out that many AI tools focus on treating disease rather than addressing the underlying determinants of health. They fear that the hype over AI could divert attention from the urgent need to implement evidence-based interventions like community health workers and harm reduction programs. The researchers believe that AI could perpetuate patterns of harm and exploitation in the biopharmaceutical industry, with high-income countries benefiting from AI ownership and profit, while low- to middle-income countries may face data extraction and experimentation without strong regulations.
The paper also predicts that lax regulatory approaches to AI could prioritize intellectual property rights and industry incentives over equitable public access to new treatments, leading to further neglect of the needs of the world’s poorest people. Despite these concerns, Vitale and Shipton see a potential for AI to improve the healthcare system itself by allocating resources more efficiently, enhancing diagnostic tools, and providing essential health services in underserved areas. However, they caution that the impact of AI in healthcare will depend on how and where the technologies are deployed and whether they address the underlying causes of health worker shortages.
To ensure that AI in healthcare maximizes benefits and minimizes harms, the researchers emphasize the importance of implementing regulations before further expansion into the sector. They believe that proper safeguards can help steer AI away from harmful patterns seen in the past and guide it towards a path that aligns with the public interest. Through collaboration with organizations like the World Health Organization, major public-private partnerships, and tech companies in countries like the United States, India, and China, Vitale and Shipton advocate for ethical governance of AI health technologies to promote responsible use and ensure equitable access to care. Civil society advocacy will be crucial in achieving this goal.