Doctors have issued warnings about the potential health risks associated with the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in medical settings. While AI is being utilized in areas like radiology to swiftly analyze patient data and images, doctors caution that such practices may inadvertently contribute to climate change, posing further threats to public health.
A recent paper focusing on radiology emphasises the urgent need to address the environmental impact of artificial intelligence tools and data storage in the medical field. According to the authors, the substantial emissions generated by medical imaging and AI development could undermine efforts to safeguard public health, exacerbating the very issues they aim to alleviate.
Are AI health enhancements risky?
Kate Hanneman, vice chair of research at the University of Toronto, highlights the significant energy consumption associated with the development and deployment of artificial intelligence models, as well as the exponential growth in data storage demands. Dr. Hanneman stresses the importance of striking a balance between enhancing patient outcomes and minimizing energy consumption and waste.
Developing AI models for healthcare necessitates vast amounts of training data and the storage of billions of medical images annually, often in remote server farms with considerable energy requirements. Dr. Hanneman notes that these centers’ energy consumption exceeds that of the airline industry, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable practices.
In response to these challenges, experts advocate for resource sharing and collaborative efforts to optimize energy usage in artificial intelligence systems. They recommend building energy-efficient AI hardware, compressing data, and removing redundant information to reduce environmental impact.
Dr. Hanneman underscores the importance of considering environmental costs alongside financial considerations in healthcare and medical imaging. She believes that artificial intelligence can contribute to sustainability efforts if implemented judiciously, emphasizing the need for awareness and mindful energy management practices.
See also: AI-coustics Combats Noisy Audio With Generative AI
