Automation Through Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Healthcare
This assignment requires that you think through the strengths and weaknesses of algorithmic decision-making in the Global South and subsequently suggest policies to install strong ethical guardrails governing AI.
Although artificial intelligence may still sound like a futuristic fantasy, in truth, AI is all around us in more mundane ways than we imagine. You can read about some applications of AI in health and agriculture in developing countries here. The rapid rise in artificial intelligence (AI) has created many opportunities globally, in fields as diverse as healthcare diagnoses to creating labor efficiencies through automated tasks. AI systems are powerful analytical tools, but they come with ethical risks and can harm the very communities they are designed to help.
Risks associated with AI have already begun to compound on top of existing inequalities, resulting in further harm to already marginalized groups. UNESCO published the first-ever global standard on AI ethics – the ‘Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence’, eventually adopted by all 193 Member States in November 2021.You can read more about how AI-systems can deliver biased results here. Machine Learning is an application of AI that enables systems to learn from data and to improve without being explicitly programmed, thus improving their accuracy over time. Machine learning algorithms can be biased, often performing worse for certain sub-groups defined by protected attributes. This has been shown to be the case in different areas, from diabetic retinopathy diagnostics1 to loan approval process.
PT#5: Automation/AI
1. Identify one AI powered initiative in a specific country of the Global South and investigate when it was introduced
2. Highlight the original goal and mandate of this automation
3. Identify some ethical challenges in the AI tools used in this case (for example, transparency, bias, surveillance, fairness, do no harm, sustainability)?
4. Specifically highlight who, in your opinion, is most likely to be adversely affected by this AI system
5. Assuming that the automation is generally beneficial, recommend what can be done to prevent the harms that you identify.
Automation through Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Automation through Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The advancements in technology have eased the applications of various artificial intelligence tools in real-life problem-solving. Industries like healthcare or engineering rely on AI tools because of accuracy and the reliability of such tools relative to humans. However, technology in AI is still advancing and not too much trust should be put on AI tools. In this analysis, the focus is put on the Ghana Health Services (GHS) AI whose application has created a platform to understand AIs better. Using the findings from GHS analyses, it is possible to make improvements that will enhance the future efficiency of such tools in terms of accuracy, reliability, and adherence to ethical needs.
The AI-Powered Initiative
In the Global South, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has implemented an AI-driven project aimed at malaria detection. Launched in 2019, this initiative utilizes a mobile application to gather information on patients' symptoms and medical backgrounds (Omolola et al., 2023). Subsequently, the AI embedded in the app processes the collected data, enabling it to provide a diagnosis for malaria. The GHS app has been viewed as a positive move towards addressing malaria, which is among the leading health concerns in the region.
The Original Goal and Mandate of the Automation
GHS AI was structured to steer a specific mandate which was to improve the timeliness and accuracy of malaria diagnosis in Ghana. Malaria is a rampant healthcare