As the deadly COVID-19 pandemic continues, it’s clear that the virus will be around for a long time, even though most of us have been vaccinated. Artificial intelligence (AI) has played an important role in assisting the medical community in combating the health crisis during this dark time, but technology can only do so much.
Our fears, mental shortcomings, and inability to compromise for the common good are all human flaws that can stymie meaningful progress.
Of course, technology isn’t without its flaws. Years of surveillance and security scandals have given us many reasons to mistrust the tech industry, which has proved to be a bad steward of our data and privacy. However, at a time when the world is dealing with many simultaneous crises, such as a rapidly evolving epidemic, pandemic-induced global economic instability, and widespread civil unrest, humans are restricting technology’s ability to solve our most pressing issues.
The COVID-19 emergency is a great example of the problem. After the outbreak, scientists have developed a number of useful methods and technologies for diagnosing, tracking, and treating COVID; however, these advancements are useless without collaboration with the people they are meant to support. Here are some examples:
An AI-powered app developed by MIT’s Audio-ID Laboratory allows for the identification of asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 based on the sound of a patient’s cough. (Efforts to diagnose and isolate infected people are hampered by asymptomatic patients, who are frequently unaware that they are transmitting a potentially fatal virus.) The app allows users to record their cough and get an immediate diagnosis. However, in order for an app like this to be effective, it must resolve people’s apprehension about having their health data tracked and traced. Many people are afraid to do so. Furthermore, the app’s effectiveness is predicated on the assumption that once asymptomatic people discover their diagnosis, they can quarantine to prevent the spread of the disease. However, not everyone is wired in this manner. In American culture, individualism is a strong force.
- Based on the sound of a patient’s cough, an AI-powered app can help diagnose asymptomatic COVID-19 events.
- When it came to diagnosing COVID, one algorithm was 68 percent more effective than radiologists.
- During isolation, predictive technology can provide real-time feedback on a patient’s condition.
- We must make the most of COVID-fighting breakthroughs. However, technology is useless unless it is used in collaboration with the people it is supposed to support.
A group of American and Chinese scientists has developed an alternative to the COVID-19 RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) diagnostic test, which poses a major public health challenge due to its long processing times and high rate of false-negative results. The researchers identify an AI algorithm that uses chest computer tomography (CT) scans, a patient’s travel and exposure history, clinical symptoms, and lab tests to diagnose the disease quickly in their Nature paper. The algorithm was 68 percent more effective than radiologists in diagnosing COVID, according to their findings. Some patients, on the other hand, have inaccurate and incomplete memories of their travel and exposure history. Furthermore, certain patients may fail to disclose comorbidities—for example, that they smoke—because it is not socially acceptable. The patient’s failure to disclose these important details may jeopardise the diagnosis’ accuracy.
Cera Care, a London-based home healthcare company, works with IBM Watson to use AI-powered predictive technology to provide real-time feedback on a patient’s condition when they are isolated. The tool, which is remotely linked to medical personnel 24 hours a day, analyses changes in a patient’s wellbeing and allows the caregiver and the patient’s loved ones to communicate. This may be especially useful for older patients, where even minor changes can lead to rapid deterioration in a short period of time. However, technology is only useful if people are aware of how to use it and choose to do so. The tool necessitates familiarity and comfort with technology, which is not always the case, particularly among the elderly. It also depends on a family’s ability to give up anonymity, which many people are reluctant to do.
We can’t let our cynicism, self-interest, or complacency get in the way of meeting and conquering the pandemic’s challenge to our lives and livelihoods. We must seize any opportunity presented by COVID-fighting technological breakthroughs.
First and foremost, the technology industry must work to re-establish our faith and confidence. Companies in the tech industry must show modesty and take the question of personal privacy seriously. They need to invest in technology to protect people’s privacy and give them more power over how they share and use their personal data. To develop public health solutions with strong data security, tech leaders must collaborate with government and consumer watchdog organisations.
Beyond concerns about privacy and security, the industry must aim to develop more human-centered technology and services. In their design processes, product teams must understand human existence and fallibility. They must innovate while keeping in mind not only people’s inherent strengths, but also their flaws and limitations. Their business models must take humanity’s best interests into account.
Finally, we must do everything possible, individually and collectively, to contain and avoid the virus’s spread. This involves following CDC guidelines including masking and social distancing, as well as attempting to use accessible technologies to keep us safe and secure.