By Role of ageist AI in reinforcing ageism in healthcare further hindering the progress of healthtech for elderly
Engaging AI in healthcare is becoming crucial for the healthcare industry in order to avoid manual errors. No wonder the advantages derived from AI in healthcare have transformed the healthcare landscape and enabled greater productivity and accuracy. However, at the same time, healthtech researchers and scientists are worried about the discriminatory development that AI is manifesting. One such concern is revolving around the development of healthtech for the elderly is enriching ageism in healthcare. This AI-driven ageism, popularly termed ageist AI is threatening the reformative nature of AI. WHO recently addressed an attempt to curtail certain unethical practices implemented by AI in healthcare by a new set of guidelines.
Creator Mindset
Artificial intelligence being biased or criticizing one community is not new. All that we need to consider here is that the discrimination nurtured in AI is a result of the algorithms that have been entered into it to yield the respective behavior. Humans implement this algorithm thus, any discriminatory AI or even ageist AI reflects what the human-in-the-loop believes. This susceptibility of the AI to stereotypical outcomes is inherited from their creators, who resist modernity.
Healthtech For Elderly
In a wider perspective, no digital application is designed keeping in mind the engagement of the elderly, let alone AI-driven ageism in healthcare. Ageism in healthcare has been a constant practice even before the arrival of healthtech. Negligence extended to the health issues of the elderly is coupled with the idea of a shorter life span, deteriorated physical health, and mental consciousness as stated by WHO. Healthtech powered by AI is likely to be more brutal and effective in biasedness than the human tendencies of prejudices.
Effects Encountered
The elderly population seems to be excluded by the ageist AI as a result of overlooking individuals involved in the making of the algorithms.
Usually, the elderly of the current demography belongs to the minority hence, their concerns are not addressed as effectively because of the absence of AI and advanced tech during their early days. Therefore, rather than ignoring them, if significant efforts are taken further to develop better healthtech for the elderly then we can overcome AI-driven ageism.
Often this exclusivity leads to difficulties on the part of the healthcare providers as they are unable to effectively monitor the health issues. False reports of diagnosis are not new, especially, when it comes to ageist AI performing pathology.
Optimizing Healthtech AI
One can overcome Ageist AI by abandoning the prejudicial thoughts clutched by healthtech providers. If so could be done, then professionals can use AI widely for improving the lives of the ageing population. Of all the special abilities that AI holds, predictive analysis is considered to be the best feature that can save the elderly from life-threatening diseases as preventive care is extended even before the disease pervades the entire body or even an organ.
Given the lack of memory in the elderly, remote monitoring becomes a crucial application to be included in healthtech for the elderly. Physicians can be relieved with this solution by extending it to the elderly patients as the risk of incorrect intake of medicine or any restricted habits are curtailed.
Furthermore, the crisis of employees and the inability of the patients to travel for diagnosis could also be sorted with AI in healthcare. Thus, rather than producing ageist AI producing useful AI for the elderly would ultimately heave the healthcare industry and guide it to excellence.
