Untested AI-based tools could harm patients, WHO warns
As excitement builds throughout health and information systems worldwide over the rich potential benefits of new tools generated by artificial intelligence (AI), the World Health Organization (WHO) has called for action to ensure that patients are properly protected.
Cautionary measures normally applied to any new technology are not being exercised consistently with regard to large language model (LLM) tools, which use AI for crunching data, creating content, and answering questions, WHO warned.
“Precipitous adoption of untested systems could lead to errors by healthcare workers, cause harm to patients, erode trust in AI, and thereby undermine or delay the potential long-term benefits and uses of such technologies around the world,” the agency said.
As such, WHO proposed that these concerns are addressed and clear evidence of benefits are measured before their widespread use in routine health care and medicine.
Source: United Nations News, 16 May 2023