Can AI Replace Doctors? What Is The Opinion Of Experts

Many apps, websites and health devices now recognize the symptoms of your disease and even suggest treatment. Know on Doctor’s Day whether it is right to completely depend on AI for any treatment? And will AI be beneficial in helping doctors in the future?

Nowadays, there is talk of AI (Artificial Intelligence) in every field, be it education, media or healthcare. Earlier the use of AI was mainly seen in video games and software but now its use is increasing rapidly in India also. The biggest advantage of AI is that it can do hours of work in minutes. Through this, where earlier 10 people used to complete a task together, now with the help of AI that work can be done easily and quickly. Now it is being used in every field.

Especially in the medical field, the use of AI is increasing rapidly. AI tools are being used in everything from X-ray, MRI, blood reports to robotic surgeries. If technology is used wisely, it can be a boon, but if it is trusted blindly, it can also prove to be dangerous. In such a situation, the question becomes important whether AI can replace doctors in the future? And is this technology a boon or a sign of great danger?

Dr. Ankur Bahl, Senior Director, Department of Medical Oncology at Fortis Hospital, Gurugram, says that AI has become very important in the medical field. With the help of AI, large amounts of medical data can be analyzed rapidly. By looking at a patient’s report, it can diagnose the disease, suggest treatment options and even make risk predictions about what diseases a patient may develop in the future.

Speed And Data Analysis

The biggest strength of AI is Speed and Data Analysis. With the help of Artificial Intelligence, thousands of reports, case studies and medical research can be scanned in seconds and based on the symptoms, possible diseases and treatment options can also be suggested. Virtual health assistants, health chatbots and smart wearables also continuously monitor health and can give warnings before the doctor like-

Help in diagnosis: AI helps the doctor by identifying patterns in tests like X-ray, MRI, CT Scan.
Initial advice: Some AI chatbots (like Symptom Checker Apps) give initial information to the patient based on symptoms.
Remote Health Monitoring: Smart watches and fitness bands are connected with AI to continuously monitor BP, heart rate and oxygen levels.

But Can AI Replace Doctors?

Regarding this, public health expert Dr. Jugal Kishore says that AI has its own role which is increasing, but it can never replace doctors in future. Because treatment is not done only by machines, the doctor’s experience, human understanding, sensitivity (empathy) and connection with the patient are very important. A doctor also understands the patient’s language, mental state, and family-traditional aspects which is not yet possible for AI. AI is just a mere machine, whereas the patient is treated by connecting emotionally. AI can help in viewing reports and suggesting treatment, but it can never be a substitute for doctors. Patients will always need doctors.

According to Dr. Kishore, the help of AI is taken in some types of robotic surgeries, but that too is under the supervision of doctors. Patient treatment can never be left to AI. There was, is and will always be a need for a doctor for the patient.

It Is Wrong To Depend On AI

Dr. Ajit Kumar, in the Department of Medicine at GTB Hospital, Delhi, says that some people start depending on AI only without doctor’s advice. By relying only on AI, there is a possibility of data leakage or wrong treatment, which can put the patient in a more serious condition instead of treatment. Apart from this, if machines replace human emotions and trust, then the level of loss can go beyond expectations.

AI is not a substitute for doctors but a helpful tool. The aim of technology should not be to remove doctors but to increase their capacity. If AI is adopted in the medical system with the right balance, it can definitely prove to be a boon.

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