Would You Prefer C-3PO or Dr. Oz?
Technology is advancing with an unrestrainable speed, and we, as human beings, try to cope with this upsurge. With every step forward, machines take over our jobs and make our lives easier as we become less involved, mistakes are less involved. With these advancements another controversial question has arised: Should robots replace surgeons?
Artifical Intelligence (AI) is the trend of the generation Y, and it is improving faster than the generation itself. There are already robots called “ Personal Healthcare Robots,” using artificial intelligence techniques that will take over the job of domestic nurses. These robots can remind you of your medication, coach you through the obstacles of a chronic illness and be in contact with healthcare professionals to keep track of patients’ progress. The idea of having a robot wandering in your house, keeping track of your health and keeping the information recorded does sound creepy; however, for those who are lonely wolves, it is a great breakthrough. Letting a robot be a part of your life is logical to some extent, but can you trust a robot if it is to become your surgeon in a surgery that you will undergo?
I would say, at least for now, no.
The latest achievements show that robots still do not have a conciousness, morality or conscience that are the factors of a decision. Can it understand the complexities of the concepts of death and life? What if, it would not make the right choice according to morals in a surgery? How people are going to control it? AI is one of the greatest accomplishments of human beings’ but are we ready to let it into our lives this soon? Patience is a virtue, we must wait, I believe.
People’s only hope is that mistakes, errors will be reduced to minimum as much as possible with AI’s take over. However, can a robot really feel the touch of a skin, know where to stop, know how to be gentle like a surgeon does? We are sensitive, fragile creatures, can a robot understand this fact? Can a robot value human like doctors?
Ajan Reginald, the CEO of Celixir, says: “ Robotics and AI are removing the human constraints and physical limitations on surgery and placement of innovative medicines.” I cannot disagree on this, but robots are also human-made, what if a robot breaks down during a surgery because of a production error or a short circuit? There are lots of possibilities just like the error possibilities of a surgeon. But would you prefer C-3PO, which only knows to select certain algorithms in certain cases rather than actually knowing what it is doing, to be your surgeon or Dr. Oz who has studied medicine over a lifetime span, who is full of experiences and is prepared for unexpected situations and is ready to improvise? A robot knows only the algorithms it contains that is written in its software, what will happen in an unusual circumstance?
Moreover, we should not forget that robots are still mostly made out of metal. How can it intervene if the patient undergoes cardiac arrest? And, you cannot pull over the robot in such a situation, since it will be an emergency and seconds will matter.
Another argument in favour of robots is that they will still be controlled by surgeons which will, supposedly, reduce errors but will still have the human judgment for critical decision making. But, then, what is the point of using a robot?
Even though it doesn’t look like it, I am, indeed, a supporter of AI and I really want this technology to advance; however, I have concerns as I mentioned and Harold Stark, an author of Forbes, has summarized those pretty well: “Would you willingly surrender yourself, in a potentially life-threatening situation, to the hands of an autonomous intelligence that is one glitch away from going full skynet and finishing you completely? Can a robot guarantee the exact amount of expertise or human care that we expect to receive from our doctors? More importantly, will a robot ever be truly equipped to handle questions of life and death from a moral perspective?”
Take care,
Stay golden.
