World Economic Forum: 3 ways AI will transform healthcare in the next decade

Over the course of the next 10 years, artificial intelligence will advance in the field of healthcare to improve quality, outcomes and experience, according to an op-ed published by the World Economic Forum ahead of the organization's Annual Meeting.

In the article, part of a series outlining the topics that will shape the meeting's agenda, Carla Kriwet, PhD, CEO of Philips' connected care and health informatics division, described three ways in which AI will change healthcare by 2030.

In the next decade, Dr. Kriwet predicted, connected care will become a reality, "driven by years of immense pressure on global healthcare systems without enough skilled medical professionals to care for their rapidly growing and aging populations and breakthroughs in powerful technology enablers, such as data science and artificial intelligence."

The three most significant AI-driven changes will include AI-powered predictive care, networked hospitals and better patient and staff experiences. To achieve these goals, hospitals and health systems will need to strengthen partnerships with the government and private companies to improve AI interoperability, transparency and equality, and to implement international standards of data privacy, according to Dr. Kriwet.

Additionally, and even more importantly, she wrote, "we must keep in mind that AI's most powerful use is to enhance human capabilities, not replace them. The heart of connected care isn't new technology, it's people: the people who need to be cared for and the people who work so tirelessly to deliver it to all of us."