Siri's Founder: AI Virtual Assistants Will Revolutionize Healthcare in Five Years
This summer, KPCB partner Mary Meeker highlighted in her "2017 Internet Trends Report" that the healthcare sector presents immense opportunities. She noted that the healthcare market, driven by converging technologies, is nearing a "digital tipping point" and is rapidly evolving.
While this is a cautious observation, my own research suggests something even more profound. Since 2013, the volume of digital data worldwide has surged by 48% annually due to increased digital inputs. With greater information availability comes both opportunities and challenges. Harnessing this exponential data growth could transform the healthcare market and redefine service delivery standards. AI-driven solutions will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in this transformation.
Meeker's analysis underscores the potential for digital innovation in empowering patients, enhancing health management, optimizing clinical workflows, and preventing illness. These advancements are deeply intertwined with AI and machine learning. But what might AI-augmented healthcare look like in practical terms?
Data-driven AI technologies excel at addressing persistent inefficiencies in the healthcare market. By automating mundane tasks like billing collisions and data entry, these innovations could slash costs by hundreds of billions of dollars while freeing up physicians' time. Tasks such as manually processing data or performing repetitive documentation can be easily automated without requiring a doctor’s expertise.
In the near future, the healthcare industry could undergo a complete metamorphosis. Here are some predictions:
1. Doctors will leverage AI-powered virtual assistants—think of them as specialized versions of Siri tailored for medical applications—to enhance their practice. These assistants will offer real-time support and guidance for diagnosis and treatment. Companies worldwide are investing heavily in AI research. For instance, IBM's Watson or startups like Ada mimic the role of digital consulting nurses. And this is just the beginning.
Beyond serving the general population, AI virtual assistants will analyze vast datasets tied to individual patients. Privacy and security will remain paramount, with rapid advancements in technology ensuring compliance. These datasets will encompass everything from patient histories to epidemiological trends, doctor reviews, and treatment outcomes.
2. Equipped with AI assistants, doctors could manage five to ten times more patients with chronic conditions than they do today—and do so more effectively. Research indicates that AI tools can handle alerts, reminders, diagnostics, treatment plans, information retrieval, and even image interpretation. This automation will significantly reduce the workload on physicians, allowing them to focus on patient interactions.
3. AI virtual assistants will also promote proactive health maintenance by offering continuous, real-time advice. Our biggest opportunity lies in keeping people healthy before they fall ill. These assistants will delve into dietary habits, exercise routines, medications, emotions, and mental states. Manually tracking daily activities is tedious, but AI offers innovative solutions. Using technologies like computer vision, natural language processing, and machine learning, individuals can seamlessly interact with AI assistants. Additionally, sensors and IoT devices can effortlessly gather personalized data. Patients will benefit from a digital health companion that encourages wellness and supports a healthier lifestyle.
4. Medical devices once confined to hospital settings will soon enter homes, enabling more accurate and timely monitoring. New generations of home health equipment, integrating advanced imaging and sensors, will track vital signs and collect more precise measurements. For instance, AliveCor's mobile EKG device connects to smartphones, allowing users to check their heart rhythms anywhere. Similarly, Scanadu's upcoming diagnostic kit uses AI to analyze urine samples and detect health markers.
5. Future tools for diagnosing and treating illnesses will emerge from data gathered by ubiquitous devices like smartphones. Modern smartphones boast high-resolution cameras, accelerometers, gyroscopes, and microphones—all useful for health applications. Subtle phone movements might signal Parkinson’s disease, while shifts in social media usage could hint at depression. Analyzing such readily available data can yield insights into mental and physical health.
6. Robots and home-based AI systems will assist elderly and independent-living patients. No longer confined to factories, robots will remind users to take medication, help with household chores, and even provide emotional support. Just like Japan’s robotic pets, these machines will become increasingly adept at assisting seniors with daily tasks like bathing.
Outlook
Some might argue that AI is caught in yet another hype cycle, following earlier periods of disillusionment. I beg to differ. Advances in deep learning, combined with hybrid approaches incorporating symbolic AI, computer vision, and natural language processing, mean we're on an exponential growth curve.
Today’s AI engines—be it Siri, Cortana, Alexa, or Google Assistant—are still nascent. But they’re learning fast, much like children. In the coming years, these systems will mature, understand context, and offer meaningful assistance.
As these capabilities permeate healthcare, millions will enjoy improved health outcomes. Physicians will receive much-needed support, and trillions in healthcare costs will be saved. Welcome to the AI era.
Norman Winarsky, co-founder of Siri, teaches at Stanford Business School and advises Health2047 on innovation. He co-authored "If You Really Want to Change the World: A Guide to Creating, Building, and Sustaining Breakthroughs" with Henry Kressel.
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