The Constellation Forum 2023 at Northwell Health featured discussions on AI’s transformative impact on cancer care. Experts highlighted AI’s potential to enhance medical imaging, assist with clinical trial matching, and predict treatment side effects. The CEO of Paige.AI emphasized the need to digitize medical data, while an investor expressed optimism about AI’s ability to reduce healthcare costs. However, concerns were raised about AI bias, and the need for transparency in AI model training. Overall, the forum showcased AI’s promising role in oncology while emphasizing the importance of equitable access and AI literacy among medical professionals.
During the Constellation Forum 2023 hosted at Northwell Health, experts delved into the profound impact of artificial intelligence on healthcare and the strategies to adapt to this ever-evolving healthcare landscape.
At this event, panelists engaged in a compelling discussion with journalist and moderator Katie Couric, shedding light on the far-reaching implications of artificial intelligence in the field of oncology.
Dr. Richard Barakat, the distinguished physician in chief and executive director of the cancer services and research division at Northwell Health, emphasized AI’s role as a clinical “copilot” within the realm of medical imaging. He stressed its potential in assisting radiologists to prevent errors, such as the occurrence of false negative mammograms.
While emphasizing the significance of backup systems in AI, Dr. Barakat also underscored that AI’s role transcends error prevention. He revealed that his team is exploring the utilization of AI in clinical trial matching for cancer and its capacity to predict treatment side effects, enabling proactive mitigation by oncologists.
Andy Moye, the CEO of Paige.AI, an AI-powered diagnostic platform for oncologists and pathologists, concurred that AI plays a pivotal role in enhancing diagnoses and reducing human error. He highlighted the need to digitize analog instruments like glass slides to unlock the potential of machine learning and AI, particularly for handling the staggering volume of data generated in the field.
Moye further elucidated the challenge of managing the vast amount of data, with each slide capable of holding up to two gigabytes of information and millions of slides produced annually. He emphasized that AI could harness this data for predictive modeling and population health analysis, ultimately identifying individuals at higher risk for cancer.
Daisy Wolf, an investing partner at venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, pointed out how AI could alleviate spiraling healthcare costs by automating tasks currently performed by clinicians. She envisioned a future where every patient has access to AI-driven healthcare resources, complementing the work of human doctors and nurses.
Regarding ChatGPT’s capabilities, Wolf expressed optimism, considering it a valuable resource for medical information and research, potentially surpassing the capabilities of an average person using Google.
While celebrating AI’s potential, Moye addressed the critical issue of implicit bias in AI models. He stressed the importance of providing transparency by sharing the “nutritional label” of an AI model, including the data sets on which it was trained.
Dr. Barakat offered a perspective on how AI could mitigate bias by opening up clinical trials to a broader spectrum of patients and addressing the underrepresentation of underserved and minority populations in advanced clinical trials. He emphasized that AI has the potential to uncover genetic distinctions that can guide treatments for various patient populations.
Dr. Barakat also acknowledged that while AI holds great promise, access to generative AI tools remains limited for some. He called upon medical professionals to become proficient in AI technology, ensuring that it benefits all patients and leads them to the best possible healthcare solutions.
