Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a concept that stretches far beyond its rudimentary definition: the ability of a digital computer to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings.1 Today, many consumers fear that AI is being taken a step further than task-based intelligent assistance, instead offering intelligent replacements to humans. Some industries garner more concern than others. In healthcare, studies show opinions on AI integration are laced with apprehension, with 60 percent of U.S. adults deeming AI-led diagnoses and treatment plans “uncomfortable” and roughly the same percentage explaining AI would dissolve the relationship between patient and provider.2
AI Benefits Meet Public Doubt
With a growing disconnect between rapidly generated AI technologies and public opinion on those technologies, the current state of digitization may hint at a technological peak, or a defined point at which more high tech is no longer desirable for the current market. In sectors heavily reliant on consumer trust, the benefits of AI – speed, accuracy and lack of bias – are overshadowed by personal connectivity and comfortability. Although the past few decades of tech advancements have seamlessly seeped into the mold of full-time AI-human partnerships (e.g. smartphones as human extensions), the idea of entirely eliminating the human variable is still not palatable for most consumers.
Could this mean person-to-person connection has a permanent place in society despite future tech predictions? What current research shows is that when it comes to a human trait as significant as health, people tend to take a step back from their digital lifestyles to consider the implications. Health tech companies like Haled Care are taking note of this data. Here, our diverse team of professionals move Haled Care technology along at a pace that aligns with human skill sets while prioritizing simplified, in-person medical appointments from the comfort of patients’ homes.
The Power of Digital-Human Integration
By placing the focus on seamless digital-human integration over full-fledged AI replacements, Haled Care reinstills consumer trust in an industry that depends on it. Post-pandemic research has proven value-based healthcare models are more beneficial than ever, yet face-to-face interactions are still desired.3 To reinforce those findings, additional data highlight how in-person mobile healthcare options generate trust between patients and providers while improving health outcomes via accessibility.3 Further, the majority of U.S. adults do not believe AI-centered care would lead to improved health outcomes,2 magnifying the necessity for in-person care.
For companies like Haled Care, developing a full-service healthcare model in tandem with consumer opinions and ongoing research is a win-win for healthcare professionals and patients, and the greatest opportunity for a sustainable healthcare future. So, what can current AI research tell us about people’s relationship with technology? In truth, it isn’t high tech, but well-rounded tech that consumers crave: a place where convenience, accuracy and the human experience join forces to perform at maximum capacity.
Sources:
- https://www.britannica.com/technology/artificial-intelligence
- https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2023/02/22/60-of-americans-would-be-uncomfortable-with-provider-relying-on-ai-in-their-own-health-care/
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisafitzpatrick/2021/01/15/the-future-of-healthcare-is-mobile/?sh=4b4663e81f71