Technology
WHO warns of AI risks in the health sector
The headquarters of the World Health Organization in Geneva. photo
© Salvatore Di Nolfi/KEYSTONE/dpa/Archive
Artificial intelligence could revolutionize many fields of work – including the health sector. However, the World Health Organization is concerned – and fears treatment errors.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine could lead to treatment errors, misinformation or data misuse. Despite all the enthusiasm about the possible applications of AI, the UN agency called for responsible use of these technologies on Tuesday.
AI applications such as ChatGPT, which access huge amounts of data, can help with the dissemination of health information or the creation of diagnoses. The WHO expressed concern that the usual precautions against new technologies would not be consistently implemented in the case of AI.
WHO: Responses may contain serious errors
Large speech-based AI models built like neural networks produce seemingly professional responses, according to the WHO. “However, these answers can be completely wrong or contain serious errors, especially when it comes to health,” warned the organization.
According to the WHO, AI technology could also be misused to disguise disinformation as content that appears legitimate. The WHO also fears that AI systems will access sensitive health data without permission.
According to the WHO, artificial intelligence should only be used in the medical field when reliable data on the benefits of the technology are available.