AI Will Not Replace Doctors, But It May Drastically Change Their Jobs

There’s strong consensus that AI won’t replace doctors. Arguing that it can goes not just against the complexity of what doctors actually do, but such a stance fails to realize the need for a human touch. You will want a human to hold your hand when discussing your cancer diagnosis. Empathy is critical in such life-changing moments. The level of human connection you’ll have with your doctor will directly influence how well you feel, how likely you are to stick with a treatment plan, and how you and your family will remember the trauma for decades to come.

But agreeing that the human doctor will always be there doesn’t reflect the massive changes and risks to their jobs. Doctors essentially do three things: diagnosis (what’s wrong with me?), treatment (what’s the plan?) and prognosis (how long before it gets better?). All three core tasks are being gradually performed by AI systems that employ machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing and time series forecasting.

The full Forbes article can be read at this link.