AI Use in Veterinary Medicine
A boring title, sure, but recent research has proven potentially troubling for those of us enthusiastic about AI use.
I am often guilty of cognitive bias. I’m particularly prone to two related forms of it, in particular: false-consensus and projection bias. I tend to think if I think something is a great idea, other folks will naturally come to the same conclusion. The confidence and strength of personality serves well enough for the practice of medicine (we can debate the virtue of “informed consent” another time) but it’s sometimes hard for me to affect change when I can’t imagine why someone else just doesn’t get it.
I, obviously, think artificial intelligence is super cool. I think it’s revolution. I think the effect on our lives will be on the tectonic level of innovation. I think it can make our lives easier and better in thousands of ways. And according to a series of surveys by the Pew Research Center, Americans just aren’t that psyched about AI. I am the minority.
Some potentially depressing statistics:
24% of American adults who have heard of ChatGPT say they have used it.
About 18% of adults overall.
19% of adults think it will have a major impact on their job.
Except computer programmers, of whom 56% believe it will have a major impact.
38% of people think that its use will lead to better outcomes for patients.
The remaining 60% is about even split between “worse” and “no change.”
Less likely in human medicine, I suspect, given the degree of regulation and bureaucracy.
A more likely outcome? My opinion is a little more nuanced: I don’t think it’ll be a matter of speed, I think it’ll be too siloed or limited due to regulations and privacy concerns and we won’t get as much benefit as we could.
Frankly, I dislike the use of the word “relied” here in the inquiry. I do not believe in abdicating our status of responsibility to rely on technology. The technology should be augmentation. It is not reliable on its own. Personally, I’d be somewhat uncomfortable with a doctor relying on it, I’d be very comfortable with a doctor using it.
Do I really need/get to have an opinion about something if I don’t know anything about it? “What do you think of the city of Thakhek in Laos?” “I don’t think anyone should live there, I have strong feelings about its infrastructure, and I’ve only just learned of its existence.” Silly.
Some of my clients have already experienced a much happier, friendlier veterinarian since he’s started using this technology.
The data becomes ever more troubling the more I read of it. It’s fairly likely that somewhere out there is a person who has heard nothing about AI, is uncomfortable with their doctor relying on it, and also thinks it’ll have a positive or negligible impact on medical outcomes. Imagining such a respondent makes my eye twitch.
All that being covered, my own snarky commentary aside, I am choosing to find it all uplifting. It means there’s a lot of learning to be done, education to be offered, and ground to be traveled. There’s more to do in order to help people, I think that’s an amazing opportunity for those of us who seek to do some good in the world. I shudder to imagine the sort of Elysium where there’s nothing to learn and nothing to do. I like making things better.
The tectonic shifts in the landscape have the potential to lift us up to higher vantage points and provide a new landscape upon which we can practice ever better medicine. There’s work to do, sure, but educating people in a way that guides them to make a decision you believe to be in their best interest is most of what I do all day. Sure, it’s a little paternalistic, but I appreciate a bit of paternalism in a trusted auto mechanic or plumber or attorney. The notion that someone believes they understand my situation and wants to share their expert opinion to help doesn’t bother me all that much. I write this confidently, as the privileged poster child for the patriarchy that I am. I recognize that others have very legitimate concerns that further entrenching certain biases are worse for some than for others. But extensive use of this technology as well as review of research has persuaded me that the software is almost always more thoughtful and nicer than the average human.
A dark sky might be a bad omen, unless you’re the fellow peddling umbrellas and galoshes. I think we should be informed enough to have an opinion and brave enough to share it. On the one hand, it’s a bummer about the numbers. On the others, it’s exciting to feel like you’ve got something to offer in educating people about the present and future.