It’s not wrong to say that 2023 has been a watershed year for AI technology in the healthcare space. Throughout the year, we have witnessed a wave of AI breakthroughs that are improving the way we diagnose, treat, and manage our health.
Speaking with Fox News, Dr. Harvey Castro, a Texas-based, board-certified emergency medicine physician, termed 2023 a “landmark year for AI in health care.”
Castro said the advancements in AI have “reshaped medical practices and paved the way for a future where health care is more personalized, efficient and accessible.”
From accelerated cancer research to AI medical services, below are some of the most important advancements to have happened in the health sector, as opinionated by Castro and other AI experts.
1. ChatGPT and Gen AI
Doctors and healthcare providers face a constant battle against time, information overload, and complex diagnoses. ChatGPT and other generative AI tools are easily a relief to that effect, which explains why they are becoming popular among medical practitioners.
“ChatGPT remains the best-known and most widely used generative AI tool among health care professionals in various activities aimed at reducing documentation burden and allowing clinicians to focus on their core activities,” Dr Tinglong Dai, professor at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, told Fox News Digital.
2. Accelerated cancer research
Cancer research has long been a gruelling marathon, often slowed down by mountains of data, complex analyses, and limited resources. But in 2023, the infusion of AI is speeding up the pace of discovery, bringing us closer to effective treatments and cures for various cancers.
Andre Esteva, CEO and co-founder of ArteraAI, sees cancer research as “fertile ground” for AI technology. Esteva said they are using AI to “find hidden patterns in data, personalize treatment decision-making, and help predict treatment benefit.”
3. A more efficient disease detection approach
AI has also ushered in a more efficient approach to detecting diseases in patients using retinal images. The “groundbreaking” model was developed by a group of researchers from the University College London.
The model reportedly can diagnose and predict both eye diseases and systemic disorders like heart issues and myocardial infarction. It marks a “significant advance in medical AI, providing a more efficient approach to disease detection through a foundation model,” said Dai.
4. Improved drug discovery process
Traditionally, developing new drugs can take a decade or more. AI is dramatically shrinking this timeframe. By analyzing vast libraries of molecules and patient data, AI can predict which combinations have the highest potential for success, guiding researchers towards the most promising leads.
5. Clinical trial optimization
Designing and conducting clinical trials is a complex and expensive process. AI can help optimize this process by predicting patient responses to different treatments, identifying the most promising trial designs, and streamlining data collection and analysis.
