AI in healthcare is here to stay, but doctors must remain the final decision-makers: experts
Dr. Jayanthi said AI has become an important part of healthcare and medical education, and doctors and institutions must adapt to the AI era.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a crucial component of healthcare and is here to stay, according to experts speaking at a webinar titled "The Future Doctor: Balancing Clinical Experience with Technology." The event, organized by SRM Institute of Science and Technology in collaboration with The Hindu, featured a panel of medical professionals who emphasized the importance of maintaining human oversight in the use of AI technology.
Dr. R. Jayanthi, Dean of SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, highlighted the growing integration of AI in healthcare and medical education. She emphasized the necessity for medical students to acquire AI literacy and a strong "verification reflex," ensuring that AI-generated information is cross-checked against trusted sources and does not hinder clinical reasoning and critical thinking.
Dr. Jayanthi stressed that AI should serve as a support system for clinical decisions, but doctors should never delegate their responsibility to the technology.
Dr. Ganapathy, Emeritus Professor and Distinguished Professor, underscored the importance of strengthening judgement, empathy, and accountability, while also questioning the reliability of AI predictions for individual patients and settings. In the field of dentistry, Dr. Vivek pointed out the increasing role of AI in automating various aspects of diagnosis and treatment, while maintaining that technology remains a decision-support tool and cannot replace the dentist's final clinical decision.
From a public health standpoint, AI can serve as a force multiplier in regions where specialist clinicians are scarce. It can enhance accessibility to screening services in rural and underserved areas, helping to prioritize patients requiring urgent attention. However, accuracy, bias, and clinical oversight remain critical factors to consider when implementing AI in healthcare. The webinar was moderated by Geetha Srimathi, senior reporter of The Hindu, and can be accessed at https://newsth.live/THSRMFY.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu - Sci-Tech's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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