The development of AI in the medical field is nothing new, especially if you’re a fan of the popular show Grey’s Anatomy. However, this recent innovation created by Rutgers engineers completes a task that is traditionally done by nurses. This tabletop machine completes basic actions such as drawing blood, inserting catheters and delivering fluids and blood. The new device uses a mix of “artificial intelligence, and near-infrared and ultrasound imaging” (Rutgers University) in order to complete these tasks. There is even significant evidence that with more experience and testing that these devices will be able to complete such tasks much better than people. Another benefit of this is that if these devices can conduct routine procedures with minimal supervision, surgeons and doctors can focus on the more critical cases and be more available in the hospital. I think it’s really cool how the robot that can draw blood uses the ultra-sound and infrared imaging to to identify blood vessel depth as well as their motion. This eliminates the worry of people with abnormal veins, or veins in abnormal places.
Personally, I’ve never thought of using such technology to do something as routine as drawing blood and delivering fluid and blood. But in the perspective of employers, paying a one time fee of the purchase of the device instead of continuing to pay a salary to multiple nurses and technicians is a very smart move if the device can truly perform the tasks better than people and save money. On the other hand, where will the people whose income and livelihoods rely on these jobs in the medical field. This is just another one of the many examples when it comes to technology and AI potentially increasing the unemployment rate and taking jobs that are traditional conducted by people.
Sources:
“Robot Uses Artificial Intelligence and Imaging to Draw Blood.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 4 Mar. 2020, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/03/200304141540.htm.
As much as I agree that utilizing AI especially in the health care field would be a great way to not only increase efficiency but also reduce cost, there is also something that we must keep in mind especially when it comes to nurses. It is generally nurses who develop a emotional connection with patients and help them get through the day to day, and if we were to simply switch to AI a lot of that connection would be lost, this would especially hindering when it comes to younger children as they will be more reluctance and closed off without human iteration in a hospital. What I rather see happening in the future is a a coexisting relationship with nurses and AI, nurses will be using the data and skills of the AI to better increase efficiency in their duties while they ares till able to provide human interaction and bedside manner to their patients
https://journals.lww.com/nursingmanagement/Fulltext/2019/09000/How_artificial_intelligence_is_changing_nursing.8.aspx
I agree that using AI to do routine producers, especially if they can perform these tasks even better than humans as you state, is a great advancement in the medical and AI field. Though on the other hand, from a moralistic standpoint that would minimise nurses roles in hospitals, and perhaps take over their jobs in general- leaving a whole industry of educated workers without a job.
AI will definitely keep developing in the medical and healthcare space in the coming years though. In a World Economic Forum article, I read on some of the ways AI will change healthcare in the next 10 years.
One of the things that the article predicts will be available and used by 2030 is AI-powered predictive care. This technology would help understand more about the factors in our lives that would influence our health. This would also help anticipate when a person is at risk for developing certain diseases- and could help suggest preventive measures to take before the condition gets worse.
I think AI can be extremely useful in healthcare and medicine and could save peoples lives, as well as make the experience of going to the doctor more pleasant. I do believe that there is a line though they shouldn’t be crossed, where technology takes over people’s jobs because I believe in the medical field it’s crucial to have people helping people, not just machines.
Source: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/01/future-of-artificial-intelligence-healthcare-delivery/
It would be very useful when AI is affecting our culture and support people who had birth. However, AI is able to show their emotions but there still a need for technologies in learning from emotions since handling babies is very tough to work required many skills. So it would be better for AI to handle babies when they are able to move more smooth and able to understand the emotions.
https://becominghuman.ai/artificial-intelligences-have-emotions-659cb09cdc61
Newer technologies, such as AI, are becoming more and more a part of many professional realms, and healthcare is no different. Many medical training procedures are now utilizing augmented reality technology for the purpose of surgery preparation. 3D printing is being used to create bone and tissue replacements more and more. There are breakthroughs being made with technology in the medical field almost every day. Artificial intelligence, like the device you discussed, is great for doing simple and routine tasks like drawing blood, but it lacks the ability to portray empathy and feeling. This is an aspect of working in healthcare that is becoming more and more known as a necessity. Could this device completely negate the need for nurses? I don’t think so, but it sure makes their job easier. Many healthcare professionals do believe that technology like this will change how hospitals and doctors’ offices will operate. The major aspect that many also know is that human interaction is a major part of medical care and that it can’t move away from that. AI might actually do a great help in making sure doctors and nurses can be even more focused on the empathy-centered portion of their work, not remove the need for their job.
Source: https://healthmanagement.org/c/healthmanagement/issuearticle/will-robots-take-your-job-in-healthcare