The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: Applications, Challenges and Future Directions

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly improved disease diagnosis, treatment, and patient care in healthcare. Applications include precision medicine, virtual assistants, and chatbots, which analyse vast amounts of data, identify patterns, and make predictions. These systems enable early interventions and personalized treatment plans. AI has been successful in disease diagnosis and prediction, particularly in cardiovascular, neurological, and cancer diseases. However, challenges such as data variability, quality, security, and technical issues with reproducibility and interpretability hinder its widespread adoption. The lack of labelled data in medical AI applications is a significant challenge. To overcome these challenges, careful consideration must be given to the ethical and safety implications of AI in healthcare. The future of AI in healthcare holds significant promise, with potential applications in disease diagnosis, treatment, and patient care. Addressing these challenges is essential to ensure AI systems are designed to augment human decision-making and improve patient care.