Gigaom AI Minute – Will an Artificial Intelligence Replace the Doctor?

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Transcript

Will an artificial intelligence replace the doctor? I think we can look at it right now and say, at present, the answer is, no. Doctors will use artificial intelligence the way they use diagnostic tools in order to recommend a course of action, and it may be heavily influenced and advised by the artificial intelligence, but, in the end there's a need for a professional between the patient and the system, that is able to interpret and override and augment the results of the software.

That being said, can an artificial intelligence pass for doctor in an area, in a part of the world that doesn't have doctors? I think the answer there is a resounding, yes. Artificial intelligence can be autonomous enough and can be educated enough that it really can substitute for a doctor in an environment where one does not have ready access to medical help.