Doha, Qatar: The Aspetar Tuesday Lecture Series recently featured a thought-provoking session titled ‘Towards regenerative AI in healthcare: How collaborative, open-source models are advancing medical research’.
The lecture was delivered by Bart de Witte, the CEO-Founder of the HIPPO AI Foundation and a member of the Aspetar Scientific Advisory Board.
De Witte began his lecture by emphasising the umbrella term ‘artificial intelligence’ (AI) to encompass various techniques, simplifying the discussion. He drew inspiration from Armin Nassehi, who described digitalisation as the duplication of the world through data. De Witte highlighted familiar examples such as weather forecasting, digital twins, virus modelling, and machine learning in radiology.
The speaker illustrated the impact of AI beyond traditional applications, sharing a video from a South Korean television show. The clip depicted a virtual reality world where individuals could reconnect with deceased loved ones, raising ethical questions about the boundaries of data and algorithms.
De Witte stressed that the integration of AI and human identity transcends the realms of abstract technology, urging a deeper consideration of human integrity.
Moreover, he delved into the informational nature of personal identity and the growing influence of online personas.
He cited a survey by Razorfish, revealing that younger generations often identify more strongly with their online informational selves than their biological identities. This shift raises concerns about the power wielded by recommendation algorithms on platforms that operate as black boxes, potentially enabling manipulation.
The discussion then shifted towards ownership and rights in the age of generative AI.
De Witte explored the implications of assetisation, the process of turning knowledge into an economic good through data and machine learning. He highlighted cases where algorithms led to wrongful convictions, shielded by trade secret protection. The speaker underscored the need for transparency and access to training data and methods to ensure fairness and accountability.
De Witte stressed the influence of different cultural contexts, comparing Europe’s solidarity-based healthcare systems to the competition-driven approach in the United States. He called for a careful consideration of values and principles when duplicating the world through data, particularly in the crucial field of medicine.
Moreover, the lecture highlighted the emergence of digital health assets, where financial markets determine value based on future earnings rather than tangible assets. De Witte cited examples from the biotech and pharma industries, emphasising the financialisation of digital health solutions and their impact on patient records.
Aspetar Tuesday Lecture Series, which was started in 2012 is a sequence of talks covering a wide range of academic, medical, and scientific issues being held every week.
Aspetar’s Tuesday Lecture Series is covers a myriad of educational, medical and scientific topics. The series offers likeminded professionals the opportunity to learn from world-class athletes and renowned sports medicine experts whilst similarly sharing their own knowledge and experience.
