The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the field of medicine with its infinite possibilities, according to experts in the field. AI has the potential to revolutionize drug and treatment discovery, improve diagnostic precision, personalize treatments, optimize data management for doctors, and bring immense benefits to medicine in different areas.
Òscar Pastor, a researcher from the Valencian University Institute for Research in Artificial Intelligence (Vrain), explains that AI provides two complementary dimensions: predictive and explanatory knowledge. The predictive dimension is like the “magic of mathematics” that allows algorithms to predict diseases from data analysis, such as machine learning. This is particularly useful in the prediction of diseases like colorectal cancer and in providing faster and more accurate diagnoses by analyzing medical data like images of magnetic resonance, tomography, x-rays, and laboratory tests.
AI also enhances personalized medicine by profiling patients, discerning mutations, and adapting treatments accordingly. This is playing a significant role in oncology and other areas of medicine by improving treatment success rates and reducing potential medical errors. However, it is crucial to ensure data privacy, patient consent, and confidentiality in the use of large medical datasets.
Furthermore, AI is accelerating drug design and testing, and optimizing the design of clinical trials, leading to the development of individualized treatment plans for each patient. However, the use of AI for precision medicine poses ethical and economic challenges, such as the potential creation of inequalities due to the high costs involved in genome manipulation.
The explanatory dimension of AI is essential for understanding the origins of diseases and potential future treatments, but it presents challenges such as lack of transparency, algorithmic biases, and discrimination. Despite these challenges, experts are optimistic about the positive impact of AI in hospitals, as it accelerates administrative processes and enables more time to be spent with patients.
In conclusion, AI is transforming the field of medicine and has the potential to significantly improve patient care while raising ethical, economic, and transparency concerns. However, with the right measures in place, the use of AI in medicine represents a significant innovation that is here to stay.