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Computers could replace doctors - expert

Author
Sam Thompson,
Publish Date
Fri, 6 May 2016, 8:38AM
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

Computers could replace doctors - expert

Author
Sam Thompson,
Publish Date
Fri, 6 May 2016, 8:38AM

A Kiwi medical professional is warning Artificial Intelligence will spell the end of doctors as we know them.

Dr William Diprose writing in the New Zealand Medical Journal believes over the coming years AI will perform a significant amount of the diagnostic and treatment decision-making traditionally performed by the doctor.

He said jobs that takes doctors years of training is already being done by computer software.

"It's gathering the information, it's putting it together and it's coming up with a diagnosis. That's one of the primary roles of a doctor. You don't necessarily need a human to put all the information together and say this is what the diagnosis is."

Dr Diprose said humans will continue to be an important part of healthcare delivery, but in many situations, less expensive fit-for-purpose healthcare workers could be trained to ‘fill the gaps’ where AI are less capable.

He said as a result, the role of the doctor as an expensive problem-solver will become redundant.

"It doesn't have to go to sleep, it doesn't eat, it doesn't go on leave and it ultimately doesn't die, so you don't have to keep on training generations and generations of doctors. It would be cheaper than to keep on training doctors to be really expensive problem solvers."

Though, Auckland University of Technology Professor Ajit Narayanan said a doctor does more than just reach a conclusion.

"Typically, a doctor decides whether a medical condition is present as well as attempting to determine which medical condition or whether the condition is treatable. These are complex, inter-related processes.

He said doctors use a combination of intuition, experience and compassion which artificial intelligence does not have.

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