Artificial intelligence is becoming more prevalent in all facets of our lives. From assisting us on our smartphones and other smart devices to driving our cars. But, what other everyday applications for artificial intelligence are there? One of the newest ones is making a medical diagnosis via an app on our phones or tablets. But why? Is this better than just seeing a doctor? Will artificial intelligence enhance diagnosis? This article answers all of that and more.
What is artificial intelligence?
Artificial intelligence is a computer program that performs problem-solving calculations on its own. This could be as simple as Siri or Alexa answering your questions when you call to them or as complex as owning a Tesla that will drive itself from place to place. This is not a computer program that can think for itself and is nothing to be feared. It is nothing like the artificial intelligence you may have seen in a movie. AI today is simply a computer program that doesn’t need any outside input from a programmer, just the user. It may seem scary when given a voice, but it is nowhere near free thinking. It merely pulls information from a database. This makes it perfect for the medical diagnosis field.
How can artificial intelligence make a diagnosis?
The artificial intelligence can make a diagnosis by using a chatbot. It will ask you a question, and you will answer it. It could be as simple as asking what your symptoms are, you say you have the sniffles and a headache, and it presents the diagnosis that you have a cold. This a simplistic example, the calculations going on in the background are far more advanced than that. But that is the general idea of how they work. The AI will have access to a massive database of symptoms and illnesses. You will provide all of your symptoms, and the AI will then cross-reference all of your symptoms against the possible diseases. It will keep eliminating illnesses until it can make a diagnosis. Will artificial intelligence enhance diagnosis? We will see.
There are also wearable devices that can measure statistics about your health. This could be as simple as your heart rate or as complex as inbuilt blood sugar and macronutrient reader. These already exist and can offer exact real-time information about your body and what it needs. It may tell you that you are perfectly healthy, but you could do with a small amount more potassium. You would then know to eat a banana. This kind of device can help micromanage your health for you.
AI can even be advanced enough to assist oncologists in making a diagnosis after a biopsy. A computer is going to notice things a person cant; they can use exact measurements of results that are not feasibly done by human eyes. There is still work to be done but to answer the question, “will artificial intelligence enhance diagnosis?”, in this regard, almost certainly yes. It could save countless lives once it is perfected.
