A blog reflecting on the recent London Higher and NatWest health roundtable by Barrie Davison, National Sector Head, and Jolanta Edwards, Director of Strategy at London Higher.
If you’re like me and switch off whenever you see ‘AI’, this is the blog to read. At a recent roundtable, my view of AI fundamentally shifted. I recognised that, like it or not, AI is here to stay, and it will become increasingly embedded in our lives. To operate successfully, both in the present and in the future, I need to stop worrying. Instead, I need to focus on how to embrace AI and how to empower others to do the same.
I also realised that AI is about people. It is the ‘thing’ that can enable us all to live better lives, and become stronger and healthier. AI can help with some of the challenges we face, including an aging population, prevention rather than cure, training for more nurses, healthcare professionals and doctors. Yet, this isn’t the narrative that is peddled. Films and books deliver narratives of a dystopian future in which AI leads and outsmarts humans. Although this fiction sells well, it problematically positions AI against us and breeds false ideas. This, coupled with the rapid pace of change and the challenge of adapting, creates uncertainty and fear for many of us. There are also risks to think about, that will need working through.
Nonetheless, AI has the opportunity to transform lives, and possibly nowhere will this be more visible than in the health arena. There are many emerging examples of AI use which demonstrate this. I was struck by one in particular, in which AI records the doctor’s discussion with the patient. This improves the doctor’s ability to focus as they are listening, rather than trying to capture the discussion. Ultimately, it enables the doctor to be more responsive and thoughtful. Such AI usage also eases workloads (no need for laborious post-meeting checking or notes). Simple, effective, and impactful for almost all of us. This example highlights AI being about people, as it takes away the burden of recording which supports good patient and doctor relationships. The next evolutionary step for AI in this arena is conversational diagnostic AI that can use these conversations to produce a diagnosis. AMIE (Articulate Medical Intelligence Explorer), developed by Google Research, is one example.
Some of this transition will require new ways of thinking, as we break down boundaries between traditional set-ups and teachings. We will see more fluid roles in the health profession and a fusion of subjects. Speed of success will partly rest on the shoulders of our leaders. Thought leaders will drive the changes we need through their strategic thinking, expertise, passion, and willingness to engage. These leaders will fuse ideas and areas of work, look at solutions, and seek collaboration to problem solve.
Medicine, nursing, allied health care and a range of other areas will come together to think about health in a new way. Together, it is possible to better weigh up and test what might work and when, while consciously bringing in regional understanding. It is possible that issues will be anticipated and prevented by using analytics and local knowledge. Taking London as an example, and just considering ethnicity, there are some parts of the capital that are more ethnically diverse then others. However, that diversity also needs understanding. Lewisham, Lambeth and Southwark have a high proportion of black ethnic population, whereas Redbridge and Harrow have a higher number of Asian and Asian British people. In doing so, it enables us to consider how to make AI more inclusive. There is a question of how you ensure AI exclusion is minimised. There is particular concern in relation to younger people, who may not have the money to buy ‘digital’. As a result, these individuals may lag behind their counterparts in school. Plus, a concern for older people, who will be less familiar with the foundational elements and have likely been exposed to greater levels of negative rhetoric.
This is why we need to ensure the right people are being heard. London Higher has been actively engaging on policy discussions and development. We should anticipate more, including potentially regulatory discussion as AI increasingly impinges on our lives. We need to advocate for clear, agile policies that embrace AI’s potential while safeguarding ethics. We need to ensure AI is seen as the support it really is.
In research undertaken by NatWest, insufficient access to skills (AI and digital in particular) is a significant issue for many commercial and corporate sized businesses and supporting clients develop their own in-house capabilities is a priority area for the Bank. The roundtable was a step towards sharing insights to drive meaningful progress.
Empowering healthcare’s workforce is not just about implementing technology; it is about embracing change, nurturing skills, and forging partnerships that stand the test of time.
