The healthcare industry only generates about 30% of all the data in the world—in fact, it is the goal of a huge variety of generative AI dreams, from fledgling startups wanting to reap the harvest of a generational AI tool that may perform medical miracles, to visionary executives in large hospitals who foresee AI not only saving lives but also helping to resolve that complicated balance between profits and patients.
Healthcare giant Kaiser Permanente, with 40 hospitals in eight states, has jumped into the generative AI opportunity pool and is actively implementing generative AI tools across its sites. For a full look at the organization’s AI journey, don’t miss Daniel Yang, vp of AI and emerging technologies at Kaiser Permanente, at VB Transform. Yang will likely be speaking on the Transform healthcare track on the second day of the event, focusing on key generative AI opportunities, including speakers from Sutter Health, Stanford Hospital, and Healthvana (Healthvana now has the broadest health app in distribution, and LLM OpenAI is communicating directly with users).
Meanwhile, Kaiser Permanente nurses also have their say on this AI journey. Just a few months ago, 200 members of the California Nurses Association (CAN) staged a protest at one of Kaiser’s San Francisco locations, holding signs that read “Patients, not algorithms” and “Trust nurses, not AI,” calling for more transparency around the tools and a say in how these platforms are implemented, since patients are the ones who are targeted if something goes improper. Some nurses have even reported issues with the tool, corresponding to incorrect alarms or failure to detect patients in urgent need. According to CAN President Michelle Gutierrez Vowhich represents 24,000 nurses employed by Kaiser Permanente.
The healthcare industry as a whole has long struggled with data governance, privacy, model bias and inconsistent standards in its efforts to adopt AI in a balanced, ethical and responsible way. But people on the front lines see it in a different way, asking for a slowdown, aggressive testing and a seat at the table, Vo added. The big questions are: Is AI actually smart enough to save lots of lives, and is the ultimate goal to switch real healthcare staff with an AI-based analogue?
And one more query: Are healthcare staff listening?
Yang will tackle this query at VB Transform, where he’ll delve into the transformative journey of integrating generative AI into one of the largest healthcare organizations in the United States and their path to accountable AI. You will see the most promising applications of generative AI in healthcare in motion, insights into real-world applications corresponding to predictive analytics for patient outcomes, natural language processing to administer patient queries, and advanced diagnostic tools. And in fact, he’ll address the taboo subject: the challenges generative AI poses, from data governance to accountability, patient privacy, and more.
Don’t miss this chance to learn what healthcare organizations are doing to advance the industry, keep patients protected, and embrace innovation because it emerges. VB Transform 2024 will happen live in San Francisco on July 9, 10, and 11. This 12 months’s theme is AI at scale, with a focus on real-world case studies and AI use cases that make the most difference, directly from industry leaders with the brightest brains and the boldest. Register now!