Ai and humans, where are we heading
Having worked in the medical IT field for over two years and within the IBEW, I’ve seen firsthand that artificial intelligence and medicine are rapidly converging. This convergence represents a critical moment—one that must be thoughtfully guided before it advances beyond our ability to responsibly manage it. At present, individuals should be far more engaged and concerned with this issue than we currently are, because the decisions made now will shape the future of healthcare, ethics, and human dignity. We are entering a moment in human history where medicine no longer advances only through trial and error, but through understanding. Artificial intelligence is becoming a tool that helps doctors see patterns the human eye cannot, predict illness before symptoms appear, and personalize care to the individual rather than the average.
AI will not replace doctors. It will strengthen them and restore medicine to what it was always meant to be: human centered and rooted in care.
In diagnostics, AI is improving early detection of cancer, heart disease, and neurological disorders by analyzing medical images, genetic data, and patient histories at a scale no human team could manage alone. Earlier detection means less suffering, lower costs, and more lives saved.
In treatment, AI is accelerating drug discovery and reducing timelines from decades to years. Personalized medicine, where treatments are tailored to a person’s genetics, environment, and lifestyle, is becoming achievable rather than theoretical. This progress represents a shift toward truly compassionate care.
Most importantly, AI gives doctors time back. Time to listen, to explain, and to care. When technology carries the burden of data, humans can focus on empathy, judgment, and trust.
This future must be guided by ethics. Medical AI must be transparent, accountable, and used to heal rather than exploit or control. Patients must remain owners of their data, and decisions about life and death must never be surrendered to machines alone.
AI is a tool. Humanity must remain the conscience.
