The Future of Human Health May Require Unlocking Access to Our Health Data

Cambron Carter, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Pearl, discusses the convergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and medical imaging, particularly in dentistry, and emphasizes the significance of considering system design choices in healthcare due to the high stakes involved. He distinguishes between discriminative and generative AI algorithms, highlighting the immediate utility of discriminative algorithms in medicine for their objective accuracy. Carter emphasizes the potential of AI in medicine to leverage unfettered access to medical data for improving diagnostic precision and discovering unforeseen connections. He calls for methods to anonymize and pool patient data to maximize its utility while addressing ethical considerations regarding patient privacy. Carter stresses the need for collaboration among policymakers, technologists, and healthcare providers to strike a balance between innovation and privacy, suggesting the development of ethical guidelines around health data. He asserts that in medicine, data is a public good, advocating for pooling information for the common benefit while safeguarding individual privacy and the privatized nature of the healthcare system.