The possibilities of Artificial Intelligence are far-reaching and are predicted to have a transformative impact on many industries across the economy. For the healthcare industry, however, the applications promise to be life-changing (Forbes, 2019). By recreating human cognitive functions, AI can increase the access, affordability and effectiveness of healthcare services. In this way, activities that were once done by doctors or nurses could be taken over by algorithms.
An example of the way in which AI will bring considerable changes is the ‘Baby Cry Translator’, developed by researchers from the University of Northern Illinois. That is, the team created an algorithm based on automatic speech recognition that can detect the differences in pitch and frequency of baby cries (Smith Sonian Magazine, 2019). The recognition of the differences can then be used to identify whether the baby is crying because of hunger, tiredness, or sickness. The degree of urgency can also be considered, which can help doctors to quickly figure out which babies need immediate attention. The effectiveness of doctors, and even parents, can thereby increase.
An application of AI that identifies emotions is, indeed, life-changing. Ethically, however, it will likely be called into question. Parents are protective of their babies, and predicting human emotions is a challenging task for AI. As shown, emotions that are generalized across populations do not necessarily give accurate results (Smith Sonian Magazine, 2019). The consequences of inaccuracy in such a setting validate the ethical concerns. In addition, the researchers have stated that the Baby Cry Translator could be beneficial at home. Psychologists and pedagogues will likely challenge this view, arguing that technology would reduce paternal bonding. Mothers and fathers create the quality of recognizing the cries of their baby and signaling what is the matter. In this manner, they bond with their babies and become familiar with them.
By taking this interesting new application as an example, I hope to have sketched the ways in which AI will be ethically challenged. Personally, I think that AI could do a great job in increasing the effectiveness of doctors; but some cognitive skills should remain limited to humans. Changes should be embraced in the healthcare industry and I believe that technology can provide a significant help to doctors and nurses. However, we should be cautious of not letting AI take over human interaction. Are we prepared for the transformative power of AI in the healthcare industry?
Forbes, 2019: https://www.forbes.com/sites/insights-intelai/2019/02/11/ai-and-healthcare-a-giant-opportunity/#29ab13784c68
Smith Sonian Magazine, 2019: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/translator-baby-cries-yes-please-180972486/
Hackernoon, 2019: https://hackernoon.com/how-ai-is-transforming-the-future-of-healthcare-industry-f6020cc18323
