Expanding our AI and Healthcare Portfolio

· Source: AI Now Institute · Field: Health & Wellbeing — Healthcare Systems & Policy, Medical Devices & Health Technology, Health & Medical Research · Depth: Advanced, medium

Summary

The healthcare industry is rapidly adopting AI tools, with companies like Microsoft and Nvidia claiming superior diagnostic and performance capabilities, and institutions like Mount Sinai investing hundreds of millions. However, this deployment presents significant risks to patient safety, including chatbots missing drug allergies and ambient scribes inventing conditions. Healthcare workers face job displacement, undermined professional judgment, and potentially increased operating costs from tools like Abridge, Nabla, and Open Evidence. Institutions risk greater debt, compromised patient care, and consolidated corporate power, as AI firms centralize decision-making and reduce public oversight. The AI Now Institute is launching a research portfolio to independently assess these deployments, focusing on worker experiences, the insufficient regulatory landscape, and the political economy of the industry, including private equity's role and lobbying efforts by groups like the Healthcare Leadership Council. Their initial work, "Uber for Nursing Part II," investigates gig nursing platforms.

Key takeaway

For healthcare administrators and policymakers evaluating AI adoption, you must prioritize independent scrutiny over vendor claims. Your focus should be on documented impacts on patient safety, worker conditions, and public spending, not just promised efficiencies. Scrutinize vendor ecosystems and financing structures, and actively seek input from frontline healthcare workers. This approach helps mitigate risks like increased operating costs, compromised patient care, and the erosion of democratic oversight in healthcare.

Key insights

AI deployment in healthcare, driven by profit, poses significant risks to patient safety, worker dignity, and democratic oversight.

Principles

Method

The AI Now Institute employs participatory methods, collaborating with healthcare workers and unions, to document AI deployment impacts, interrogate political economy, and translate findings into policy interventions.

In practice

Topics

Best for: CTO, VP of Engineering/Data, Director of AI/ML, Research Scientist, Policy Maker, Legal Professional

Related on AIssential

Open in AIssential →

Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by AI Now Institute.