CES speakers talk about AI in health, need for trust
Artificial intelligence and its transformative potential took center stage in healthcare-related discussions at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held earlier this month in Las Vegas.
Among the highlights were AI’s impact on enhanced diagnostic accuracy and personalization, operational efficiency and administrative relief, predictive analytics in healthcare, patient engagement and health management tools, and innovations in remote monitoring and telehealth.
But FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, MD, emphasized the need for continuous assessment and the importance of complete outcomes data wherever new algorithms are leveraged in service of improving healthcare.
“The algorithm’s not only living, but the assessment of the algorithm needs to be continuous,” Califf said in a staged interview during the conference.
He noted that the FDA by itself can’t keep up with the pace of change and said it will take multiple entities working to assess AI implementation and ensure that it is not producing unintended harms.
In a separate keynote, Gail Boudreaux, president and CEO of Elevance Health, formerly known as Anthem insurance, emphasized the importance of trust in the adoption of new technologies and the need for responsible AI. She highlighted the company's focus on becoming a lifetime trusted health partner and the role of data in improving healthcare outcomes.
“We have to move, I think, at the speed of trust,” said Boudreaux. “Cause if we lose that, we will not be able to do, I think the incredible things and the potential that we have to do"
Philips Healthcare was among the exhibitors and showcased its personalized consumer health offerings as part of the Digital Health Summit conference program. The company has set a goal to improve three billion lives a year by 2030.
CES is an annual trade show—the largest tech conference in North America with around 150,000 attendees—and organized by the Consumer Technology Association. This year’s conference was held in Las Vegas Jan. 9 to 12.
Evan joined TriMed in 2011, writing primarily for Health Imaging. Prior to diving into medical journalism, Evan worked for the Nine Network of Public Media in St. Louis. He also has worked in public relations and education. Evan studied journalism at the University of Missouri, with an emphasis on broadcast media.