rate , blood oxygen and blood glucose levels determined , all with wearable devices .
The data received by these devices can be automatically fed into AI technology , which will provide catered recommendations and treatment plans for the patient . It would almost be like having the perfect diagnosis , with the perfect analysis with the perfect outcome . AI will provide the potential of new drug discovery like we ’ ve never seen before . Its ability to effectively analyse any amount of data whether or not it ’ s biological , chemical or any trial results , is unmatched , as it can identify patterns which would be difficult for us mere humans to discover ourselves .
The impact AI will have on drug discovery comes with great promise of advancing the development of new treatments . It is bound to revolutionise the pharmaceutical industry and bring major improvements in patient care . But where does this leave us ‘ humans ’… Was that six-year med school course worth it just for some machine to take my place ? It ’ s a question med school graduates , current nurses and doctors could be asking themselves in the not so distant future . The inevitable integration of AI operating systems in the healthcare industry will create major issues of job displacements and a surplus of aspiring doctors and nurses without employment opportunity .
However , humans offer something that any AI technology will never have the capability to truly achieve : the ability to build relationships . The ability to make the patient feel safe , with a soft voice of the nurse in the middle of the night to check in on you , instead of a robot wheeling its way around to the side of the bed to beep at you , speaking in a monotonous voice asking if your blood pressure is too high , telling you to BREATHE . Calming , isn ’ t it ?
The lack of human interaction with the future of AI is a concern . Comfort is built on trust and positive communication . A patient ’ s experience with a healthcare provider is not just the desired healthy outcome , it is the journey and to feel at ease throughout the whole experience . A patient will never be at comfort when an AI operating system is showing no empathy and emotional support in those challenging times . A balance is required .
JAMES SPARKS
Climate change . Global warming . Words that were unheard of just 20 years ago , and are now the talking point of every major media outlet . To some , climate change almost seems like an inevitable end to the only life we ’ ve ever known . In recent years it seems suddenly , climate change has erupted at an unforeseen pace .
At this point it feels as if every time I turn on the news , I ’ m greeted by scattered statistics , expert interviews , as if trying to convince me of an apocalyptic end to the natural world . Simply put , bad news now travels a lot faster than it did a few decades ago , thanks to the media . The murders , extinctions and natural disasters rise to the front cover , giving the illusion that these events are occurring more frequently .
As a species that responds better to positive feedback , perhaps we should reconsider our method of delivering such news , by demonstrating what we ’ re currently doing right , not what could go wrong . Data trends highlight we ’ ve already averted the worst-case scenario of four degrees of global warming by the end of the century , and surprisingly we ’ re in fact on track for two degrees IF all climate commitments such as ‘ net-zero ’ and the complete removal of fossil fuels are met .
Yes , that is a rather large condition , but with a more proactive than ever stance against climate change , and more media coverage allowing people to realise the severity of climate change , I say with great certainty that it can be done . As renewable energy prices plummet , it has finally become a viable , independent resource to replace fossil fuels . As the potential for large-scale natural disasters increases , humanity has adapted and created new technology not only to aid in these disasters , but also in the detection and prediction of these inevitable events .
In his recent book The Future of Humankind : Why We Should be Optimistic , writer and scientist , John Hand mentions that ‘ the more we think about these things , the more action we can take ’, demonstrating the importance of relating future intentions to immediate action . In other words , the most effective method against climate change isn ’ t to get caught up in stories of what ‘ could ’ happen , rather to focus on actions we ‘ should ’ implement to direct humanity away from the course of destruction .
WILLIAM ZHENG
www . scotch . vic . edu . au Great Scot 15