Q&A: The potential implications of AI on healthcare disparities

The worries expressed by Dr. Jay Bhatt on the possible effects of AI on healthcare inequities are well-founded. While AI has the potential to significantly improve diagnosis, treatment planning, and patient outcomes in the healthcare industry, there are also risks involved with its use. The quality of the algorithms utilized in AI systems is one of the main issues. The algorithms may create biases that could disproportionately affect some communities if they are not adequately trained, validated, and evaluated. Incorrect diagnoses or treatment suggestions for different patient populations, for instance, may exacerbate healthcare inequities if the AI system was trained on data that was not representative of those communities. Another problem is the potential for AI-driven healthcare systems to exacerbate already-existing access-to-care disparities.