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Joaquim Cardoso MSc.
Chief Research and Strategy Officer (CRSO),
Chief Editor and Senior Advisor
December 7, 2023
What is the central message
Google is aggressively deploying artificial intelligence (AI) in the healthcare sector, aiming to turn smartphones into personal doctors.
However, lawmakers and the Biden administration are skeptical, fearing risks to patient privacy and competitive fairness.
Google’s advanced AI tools are already in use, prompting concerns about patient safety, data privacy, and potential market dominance.
One page summary
What are the key points?
- AI Applications in Healthcare: Google’s AI analyzes medical records, research papers, imaging, and clinical guidelines to aid in disease diagnosis and treatment evaluation. It is currently being used by hospitals and partners like the Mayo Clinic, HCA Healthcare, Bayer Pharmaceuticals, and Meditech.
- Regulatory Concerns: Lawmakers, led by Senator Mark Warner, express concerns about Google’s AI in healthcare being implemented before adequate regulations are in place. There are worries about potential harm to patients, data privacy violations, and reinforcing human biases.
- Lobbying and Influence: Google has assembled a formidable lobbying team to navigate the evolving AI regulations. The company is hiring former government healthcare regulators and participating in industry groups like the Coalition for Health AI to shape standards.
- Competitive Landscape: Smaller healthcare tech firms fear that regulations imposed by the government could favor tech giants like Google, creating a dependency and hindering the growth of smaller competitors.
- Past Lessons and Current Strategy: Google, having faced privacy concerns in the past, is proactively engaging with regulators and hiring former FDA officials. The company aims to stay ahead of regulatory challenges and build collaborative relationships with the government.
- AI Regulatory Void: The FDA’s existing framework for medical devices does not comprehensively cover advanced AI, creating a regulatory gray zone. The Biden administration is in the early stages of exploring AI regulations, but specific rules for AI in healthcare are yet to be developed.
- Google’s Expanding AI Portfolio: Google is rapidly expanding its AI projects, licensing algorithms for detecting diseases like breast and lung cancer, and developing AI tools for medical licensing exams. The company envisions a broader role in consumer health with products like FitBit and DermAssist.
- Privacy and Ethical Concerns: Legal experts and startups raise concerns about the lack of laws governing the use of AI in healthcare. Existing privacy laws, like HIPAA, may be insufficient, and ethical considerations arise regarding the use and sharing of de-identified patient data.
What are the key statistics?
- The FDA expects over 30% growth in AI-enabled medical devices in the current year.
- Google’s Med PaLM-2, an AI bot for medical licensing exams, is being piloted with Mayo Clinic researchers.
- Google Cloud has been used by HCA Health since 2021.
What are the key examples?
- Google’s AI is currently being used by the Mayo Clinic, HCA Healthcare, Bayer Pharmaceuticals, and Meditech for various healthcare applications.
- In 2019, Google’s earlier attempt at applying Big Data to patient records faced a privacy inquiry from the Department of Health and Human Services.
Conclusion
Google’s ambitious foray into healthcare AI is met with regulatory uncertainty and concerns from lawmakers, competitors, and privacy advocates.
While the company is actively engaging with regulators and lobbying efforts, the lack of comprehensive AI regulations poses challenges.
The tension between innovation, patient safety, and market competition is at the forefront of discussions, requiring a delicate balance in shaping the future of AI in healthcare.
DEEP DIVE
This summary was written based on the article “AI is driving Google’s health care business. Washington doesn’t know what to do about it”, published by Politico and written by Ruth Reader on April 12, 2023.
To read the original article, click here.
