Privacy Matters: Data Privacy in AI Healthcare is the Need of The Hour

During a conference panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Alphabet Inc and Google, expressed his belief that healthcare presents the most significant potential for leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance outcomes over the next five to 10 years. Pichai emphasized Google's commitment to addressing privacy concerns while pursuing advancements in this field. The access granted to Google regarding the health records of millions of Americans has drawn scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers. Ascension, a healthcare provider operating numerous hospitals and senior living facilities across the United States, represents Google's largest customer for cloud computing in the healthcare sector.

Google's Mission for a Healthier Future

Pichai clarified that when collaborating with hospitals, the ownership of data resides with the respective institutions. Nevertheless, he emphasized the immense possibilities AI offers, especially in cases such as cancer detection, where multiple experts may have varying opinions. Pichai believes AI can significantly improve such scenarios.

Google has dedicated several years to developing AI technologies capable of automatically analyzing medical data, including MRI scans, to detect diseases and provide predictive insights aimed at enhancing outcomes and reducing costs (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Artificial intelligence in disease diagnosis: a systematic literature review, synthesizing framework and future research agenda

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In November, U.S. lawmakers requested information from Google about other health systems sharing data with the company, the opt-out options for Ascension clients involved in the project, and whether the data would be utilized for advertising purposes.

Privacy-First in AI-driven Healthcare

Pichai assured that robust privacy protection regulations are already in place, providing a framework for Google's operations.

Furthermore, Google's acquisition of Fitbit Inc for $2.1 billion, finalized in November, indicates the company's interest in entering the wearables market and investing in digital health. However, regulatory bodies are expected to thoroughly scrutinize the acquisition before granting approval for its completion.

Reference:

1. Artificial intelligence in disease diagnosis: a systematic literature review, synthesizing framework and future research agenda - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35039756/)

Source-Medindia