A Critical Study of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: Prospects and Perils

Abstract

The modern era has ushered the proliferation of new technologies, especially witnessed in the emergence of the nascent artificial intelligence (AI) sector. The use of AI is largely multifaceted, proving useful in various industries such as healthcare - however, it may also allow for deleterious effects to occur. The use of AI in healthcare settings can work to extend and augment the quality of patients’ lives. Notwithstanding this, health AI enshrines various perils including the lack of patient privacy, algorithm bias - particularly on marginalized and racialized communities. This is ultimately compounded by the absence of ethical framework governing the usage of AI in healthcare settings. Specifically, this article seeks to explore whether or not the use of health AI is a potential prospect or peril; considering its duality. To investigate this topic, this article will utilize an interdisciplinary approach – drawing from domains such as: sociology, socio-legal and socio-medical climates. Secondary data will be primarily sourced via peer-reviewed journal articles, textbooks, and reliable contemporary websites. This study finds that health AI remains a greater prospect - reinforcing the quality and elongates the duration of the human lifespan. It concludes with a call to action to inform the success of health AI in praxis: namely, the need to incorporate the aforementioned topics within medical pedagogy and ethical frameworks.