There is a lot of discussion about Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and what do things look like after that is a reality.
Before going any further, we have to state there is no idea when AGI will occur, or even if we will achieve it. There is great debate among AI experts as to what will occur.
That said, let is presume it will come about at some point. From here we can consider this question...
What Will Healthcare Look Like Post-AGI?
This is an important question considering our present system is actually "sickcare". Essentially, we wait until someone gets sick before treating them.
Here is the first major change that is likely to occur. Preventative medicine, whatever that might mean, will become the norm. Some might have heard about the different things that AI can diagnose simply from looking at one's pupils or from scans that were previously overlooked.
Then we have the wearable industry. This is bringing about many forms of real time monitoring and data collection. Eventually, this will lead to even more analysis, hopefully by systems that are improving radically.
From here, we can look at some of the landscape to see what will occur.
The End of Hospitals
This is something that is a logical path forward.
Certainly, we will not be able to do away with hospitals completely. People will still have accidents means certain trauma situations will necessitate emergency care.
Then we all have childbirth. While the numbers are down, we cannot do away with this process, not if we want the species to continue.
The likelihood of going back to births at home is unlikely.
What will disappear is the need for hospitals for illness. As prevention improves, we can start to treat things earlier. A lot of this can be done outpatient, long before hospitalization is required.
If we do achieve regenerative medicine, the need for surgery will decline. This is usually an option to combat the body breaking down in some way. By removing that from the equation, surgery is out the window.
Ultimately, we might simply be left with trauma centers instead of full blown hospitals.
AGI To Combat Diseases
AGI is the state where the AI system has the cognitive ability that is at, or above, human level. This is something that proponents forecast will evolve faster than human knowledge once achieve. It is due to the fact that processing keeps getting faster, meaning the system can process a great deal more data than humans.
Also, we have to also grasp the concept of an AI system. Whereas each individual doctor, nurse, or medical practitioner acquires knowledge, the system operates on a learn once, remember forever.
Here is where AI research is believe to be the expressway. To contrast, humans are on a bicycle on a dirt road. We know how much faster computers are then humans in areas such as computation. With the introduction of chatbots, the speed which a ChatGPT brings up an answer is far outpacing what a human can do.
This provides the opportunity to development treatments for various diseases or chronological disorders that comes from aging. Having an "intelligence" that can provide a variety of options can expedite drug development while also providing early detection.
AGI could also serve to help shape the evolution of different pathogens. Here is where the normal course could be disrupted.
Eradication Of Untreated Diseases
There are thousands of diseases out there. Most of them are untreated. The sheer number makes it impossible to focus upon them all.
AGI could step up in this area.
Again, speed is the ally. The ability to research, diagnose, and eventually treat a large portion of these diseases could be in the cards. If nothing else, incredible compute is a great ally in this area.
Our bodies provide enormous amounts of data. The healthcare industry is flying blind since most of this is not captured. Simply gathering it for analysis could lead to huge breakthroughs.
Does This Mean We Will Live Longer?
There are all kinds of promises for human longevity and the chase of immortality. Some truly believe this is possible and this article is not going to bust that bubble. That said, do not give up that cemetery plot just yet.
It seems that the goal of many researches is life extension in terms of quality. That means that we do not spend the last 20-30 years running back and forth to the doctor. Instead, we are able to physically lead a quality life without having to deal with the aging issues of today.
In the end, life meets up with death. This is something that, so far, is a reality for all that is alive. AGI could help to make the last 20 years or so a lot more pleasurable.
Posted Using InLeo Alpha
