Drawing Connections: Artificial Intelligence to Address Complex Health Challenges

Abstract

Pattern recognition is a cornerstone of clinical care and public health practice. Historically, advances in medicine have relied on the ability of humans to detect patterns and make inferences. Modern healthcare challenges involve vast amounts of data and a level of complexity that require additional support to understand. The advancement of Artificial Intelligence has expanded our capability to detect, understand, and address patterns that were previously beyond our grasp. Artificial Intelligence has the capability to analyze otherwise insurmountable quantities of data in order to bring meaning and clarity to patterns that were previously deemed random or unintelligible. We, therefore, aim to charter a strategic path forward for innovative applications of Artificial Intelligence technology to understand and address pressing complex health challenges. The modelling capabilities of Artificial Intelligence have allowed for the simulation of potential viral mutations, as well as the development of therapeutic agents. The predictive analyses provided by Artificial Intelligence allow for a more holistic yet precise understanding of the aging process and the progression of disease, thereby allowing the extent and timing of treatments to be optimized. It has brought a new lens through which to identify malignant cells on imaging and to decode parts of the human genome previously labelled as sequences of unknown significance. On a global scale, Artificial Intelligence has given us the opportunity to better understand and anticipate the effects of climate change on health including the effects on displacement and the potential spillover and spread of new zoonotic infection diseases. We suggest how Artificial Intelligence is beginning to re-conceptualize our understanding of health and disease. The implementation of Artificial Intelligence is a pivotal time in developmental of other modern era of medical practice and public health strategies. Appropriate utilization of these new tools requires innovative thinking, critical appraisal, and tactful resource allocation to ensure issues are addressed in a timely and feasible manner.