The EnvisionaryArtificial Intelligence is already shaping our lives in many different ways, and it will only enhance our health choices further into the future.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping the healthcare landscape, and its potential for influencing our health-related choices is vast.
We’ve lived in a world where a lot of what’s been sold to us to consume has arguably negatively impacted our health through addictive additives and overly-generalised health apps and advice.
In the future, AI will play an even more substantial role in guiding us towards healthier lifestyles and more informed decisions to match our needs.
Here are 20 ways AI is poised to revolutionise our health choices and positively impact our health:
Tailored Nutritional Guidance
AI can assist individuals in optimising their diets, leading nutrition to become a lot more personalised to our specific health requirements, body types, and nutrition goals.
AI can help wellness and holistic health coaches zoom in on what is working for their clients, using health data to tailor personalised advice.
Nutrigenomix is an example of a company using AI to provide personalised nutritional advice. Nutrigenomix analyses your genetic information to recommend a diet rich in Omega-3 for improved heart health.
Predictive Health Analysis
AI can predict health risks based on historical data.
Owkin is a company that employs AI to analyse patient medical history and genetics, foreseeing the likelihood of developing specific diseases, such as heart disease.
Virtual Health Companions
AI-driven virtual health companions offer 24/7 advice and support.
Ada Health is an example of an app that employs AI to chat with and assist individuals in understanding and managing their health, asking about symptoms, and offering medical advice.
Medication Management
AI can ensure that patients adhere to medication schedules.
The Medisafe app is an AI-powered solution that reminds individuals to take their medications at the right times, e.g. notifying you to take your daily blood pressure medication at 10 AM.
Mental Health Support
AI can help provide mental health support. Rather than take over from humans, AI can ensure therapists have more time for and understanding of their patients or clients before their session, as well as aiding in the recording of diagnosing issues or seeing patterns of behaviour emerge.
Woebot is an example of an AI chatbot that offers cognitive-behavioral therapy to help individuals cope with stress and anxiety by providing a daily conversation to manage anxiety.
Chronic Condition Care
AI can aid in managing chronic conditions.
Livongo offers AI-based solutions for individuals with diabetes, providing real-time monitoring and advice for better disease management. For example, Livongo can notify you to check your blood sugar levels after meals and suggest appropriate actions.
Personalised Fitness and Exercise Plans
AI can customize workout plans and track progress.
Freeletics is an AI fitness app that helps you reach your fitness goals through designing personalised workout routines and nutritional guidance, and which adjusts their difficulty based on your progress.
Early Disease Detection
AI can be used to detect diseases at earlier, more treatable stages.
PathAI is an example of a company that employs AI to assist pathologists in diagnosing diseases like cancer more accurately by analysing medical images and identifying early-stage cancer cells in biopsy samples.
Telehealth Advancements
AI can enhance telemedicine by streamlining patient data.
Babylon Health is an example of a company offering AI-driven virtual healthcare platforms. Babylon Health allows video consultations with doctors, making remote healthcare more efficient.
Health Monitoring Wearables
AI-enabled wearables can track vital signs and health data.
The Apple Watch series, for example, includes features like ECG and SpO2 measurement to monitor and record vital signs and detect potential health issues such as irregular heart rhythms.
Accelerated Drug Discovery
AI can speed up the drug discovery process.
Exscientia is a company that employs AI to design drug compounds, potentially leading to more effective medications. Exscientia has developed a new drug candidate for a rare genetic disorder.
Public Health Surveillance
AI can now predicts disease outbreaks and monitors the spread of infections.
BlueDot uses AI to monitor global infectious disease outbreaks and provide early warnings to healthcare organisations and travellers, for example, when alerting them about the Zika virus outbreak in South America.
Rehabilitation Support
AI-driven robotic systems are assisting in physical therapy.
Tyromotion is a company that provides AI-based rehabilitation systems, which offer tailored exercises and track progress for patients recovering from injuries. e.g. helping stroke patients regain mobility.
Intelligent Prosthetics
AI-controlled prosthetics can now offer more natural movements. Whilst this might bring about fears of dystopian robot scenes walking amongst us, consider how life-changing this has become for those humans who may not have thought they could walk again.
Open Bionics is a company that uses AI to create prosthetic limbs with intuitive movements, enhancing the quality of life for amputees. Open Bionics developed a 3D-printed bionic hand with individual finger movement.
Ageing in Place
AI can assist elderly individuals in managing daily tasks.
GrandCare is a platform that uses AI to enable the ageing where someone is not available to assist them, offering reminders for taking medications and tracking activity.
Preventive Health Recommendations
AI offers real-time health advice.
Ada Health provides personalised health recommendations, such as sending reminders to people to get their flu vaccine before the beginning of flu season, or when to get a regular check-up based on an individual’s health profile.
Precision Medicine
AI customises medical treatments based on genetic makeup.
Foundation Medicine offers genomic profiling services and testing, allowing oncologists to tailor cancer treatments for each patient based on a patient’s genetic makeup.
Health Data Security
AI enhances the security of health records.
Darktrace is a company that employs AI to detect and respond to cyber threats in real-time, ensuring patient health data is protected from cyberattacks and threats.
Health Education
AI-powered apps and platforms provide trustworthy health information.
WebMD employs AI to offer informative educational articles and videos on various health topics, enabling individuals to make informed decisions about their well-being.
Early Warning Systems
AI can predict environmental health hazards.
BreezoMeter is an AI-powered system that provides real-time air quality data, notifying individuals with alerts about high pollution levels and recommending staying indoors on hazardous and poor air quality days.
Our Health Can Be In Good Hands With AI
AI’s role in shaping our health decisions in the future is full of promise.
Real-world applications, from personalised nutrition plans to early disease detection and preventive health recommendations, empower individuals to lead healthier and more fulfilling lives.
However, that’s not to say there aren’t concerns about data privacy, ethics, and equitable access (ensuring these benefits reach all members of society) to address, which itself can lead to more forward-thinking opportunities to create value to humans through AI.