According to Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates, the use of artificial intelligence by the entire population in developed countries will begin to occur to a “significant” degree in the next 18 to 24 months.
The impact on areas such as productivity and innovation could be unprecedented, according to Gates.
“Artificial intelligence is poised to accelerate the pace of new discoveries at a rate we have never experienced before,” Bill Gates writes on his blog.
Progress for the coming decade
But Bill Gates, who sits on the Gates Foundation that he created with Melinda French Gates, mainly discussed the role of AI in developing countries.
“One of the Gates Foundation’s top AI priorities is to ensure that these tools also address health issues that affect the world’s poorest, such as AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.” , Mr. Gates wrote.
Gates cites multiple applications of AI in different countries, while noting that practical implementation will not come this year, but in the latter years of the decade.
Fight against antibiotic resistance
“The work that will be done over the next year sets the stage for a massive technology boom later in the decade” thanks to AI, Mr. Gates wrote.
Examples of AI being developed for education and disease control cited by Gates in his letter include:
- Fight against antibiotic resistanceor antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – A researcher at the Aurum Institute, Ghana, Africa, is working on a software tool that will sift through reams of information “including local clinical guidelines and health surveillance data regarding pathogens that are currently at risk of developing resistance in the region – and will make suggestions on the best drug, dosage and duration of treatment.
- Personalized teaching driven by AIsuch as “Somanasi” — An AI-based tutoring software in Nairobi, Kenya that “was designed with cultural context in mind, so that it feels familiar to the students using it.”
- Reduce the risks associated with pregnancy, given that a woman dies on average every two minutes during childbirth worldwide. Solutions include “Copilot” software for healthcare workers, developed in India by Armman for nurses and midwives working to “improve the survival chances of new mothers in India” and which adapts to the level of professional experience.
- A chatbot for HIV risk assessment who “acts as an impartial, non-judgmental advisor who can provide advice around the clock,” particularly for “marginalized and vulnerable populations” who are hesitant to discuss their sexual history with doctors.
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A voice-activated mobile application for healthcare workers in Pakistan, which allows them to fill out a medical record when visiting a patient, to bridge the gap that exists when “many people do not have a documented medical history.”
“The product must be suitable for the people who will use it”
Mr. Gates particularly emphasizes AI applications that are developed in countries where health programs take place and which will likely be better adapted to the realities of these countries. For example, voice typing in Pakistan’s medical records app matches that country’s common practice of sending voice messages on mobile devices rather than typing messages.
“We can learn a lot about how to make AI more equitable. The main lesson is that the product must be tailored to the people who will use it,” Gates wrote.
Mr. Gates predicts that developing countries will not be far behind developed countries when it comes to AI adoption:
If I had to make a prediction, in high-income countries, I would say that we are 18-24 months away from a significant level of AI use by the general population. In African countries, I expect a comparable level of usage within about three years. This gap is much shorter than the timelines we have seen for other innovations.
Source: “ZDNet.com”