Tucker, Jason | 2024
Working paper. Malmö University
Over the last few years there has been a considerable amount of hype around the potential role of AI in healthcare. This has greatly increased since the COVID-19 pandemic, where we saw the rapid adoption of AI based technologies in healthcare. However, beyond the broad claims of AI fixing any and all healthcare issues, there is a lack of understanding about the specific applications of AI in healthcare, and how decision-makers decide upon which of these to support with public resources. There is also little room for medical professionals and patients to have their say in what should be prioritised. Lack of diversity and representation in participation on healthcare undermines democracy given the vital role it plays in society. This lack of transparency and participation is also worrying as public money and health data are being used to facilitate the development of some AI driven technologies in healthcare, and not others. As such, broad participation is required to ensure that these decisions are in line with the public good. My research sheds light on the shifting power relations in the development and deployment of AI technologies in healthcare. I largely focus on the Nordic States, as trend setters in “ethical” AI development and its adoption in public and private healthcare. I explore these relationships at a variety of levels, from the impacts of global developments on AI health, down to how individual patients interact with these technologies on an everyday basis. Research Brief: April 2024 2 Beyond this, my work also develops tools to facilitate more inclusive discussions regarding the future role of AI in healthcare.
