Many consider 2023 as the year of the AI boom, as several technology companies flexed the capabilities of their AI software. The constant evolution of this technology has resulted in several things that many of us are here to witness, such as skyrocketing stock prices, machines taking voice orders at fast-food locations, and realistic, AI-generated images. It is an incredible time to witness this rapid advancement and the rippling effects in other fields.

The image above shows some of the major advancements in AI technology in the last few years.

How has this AI boom affected the medical industry as a whole? What does artificial intelligence mean for personalized medicine? Find out as we dive into what the new era of technology means for the overall health of humankind.

Personalized Medicine

AI has made a profound effect on personalized medicine, one area of which involves genomic sequencing, or DNA sequencing. Genomic sequencing is the process that determines the DNA sequence of an organism’s genome at one time, which is then used to correlate genotypes with phenotypic characters [1]. Artificial intelligence has improved the development of precision medicine, where treatments are tailored to an individual's genetic profile by increasing the speed and accuracy of genomic sequencing.

AI algorithms have dramatically reduced the time required for genome sequencing from weeks or months to days or even hours. These algorithms can quickly process vast amounts of genetic data, identifying variants and mutations with high precision. PubMed indexed information on a study that reviewed AI techniques and their effectiveness in precision medicine [2]. Concerning cancer, a genetic disease that changes a gene's function, genomic profiles can be used for disease diagnosis, risk prediction, and treatment of diseases [2]. AI software aids in earlier diagnosis and treatment plans for specific patient needs based on their genome. The aforementioned study concluded that “AI-based solutions could improve the treatment and management of cancers and the application of intelligent approaches is recommended in many areas such as in personalized medicine,” with more research required to further verify this conclusion [2].

Ethics

Patient data protection has been a widespread ethical concern when developing therapies and treatments. The addition of AI into the medical world means extra measures need to be taken to ensure the encryption and protection of patient information to prevent breaches.

Mitigating bias is another area of concern for developing AI technology that directly interacts with patient data and/or assists professionals. AI systems can sometimes reflect the biases present in their training data, leading to disparities in healthcare outcomes. Efforts are being made to develop AI models that are fair and unbiased, ensuring equitable healthcare for all demographic groups.

AI Is Welcome, But There Is Much More to Come

AI advancements in healthcare will bring incredible breakthroughs in personalized medicine. The changes are going to bring about a new age in treatment, but with great change comes relentless caution. Who knows what tomorrow holds for those pioneering medicine. The future is here, and AI will be with us throughout the journey.

References

[1] Verma, Mansi et al. “Genome Sequencing.” Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) vol. 1525 (2017): 3-33. doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-6622-6_1

[2] Rezayi, Sorayya et al. “Effectiveness of Artificial Intelligence for Personalized Medicine in Neoplasms: A Systematic Review.” BioMed research international vol. 2022 7842566. 7 Apr. 2022, doi:10.1155/2022/7842566