Bill Gates says artificial intelligence will change the way people get healthcare as much as the internet and mobile phones have and could make health more equitable around the globe.
“For one thing, [AIs will] help healthcare workers make the most of their time by taking care of certain tasks for them — things like filing insurance claims, dealing with paperwork, and drafting notes from a doctor’s visit,” the Microsoft co-founder wrote in a blog post. “I expect that there will be a lot of innovation in this area.”
He said AI can also help health workers in poor countries be more productive, pointing to AI-powered ultrasound machines that require little training, Becker’s reports.
“AIs will even give patients the ability to do basic triage, get advice about how to deal with health problems, and decide whether they need to seek treatment,” Gates wrote.
He said AI will have to be tested and properly regulated, providing evidence that it’s beneficial despite the fact that it’ll inevitably make errors. “But then again, humans make mistakes too,” he added. “And having no access to medical care is also a problem.”
