Why does media fail us on AI and health?
Healthcare is going to be transformed by AI, beyond recognition. In fact, it is already being transformed. Back in 2020, we saw an AI called Alpha Fold used to predict protein structures from their building blocks. This was a monumental breakthrough in biology, which was not expected this soon.
This breakthrough directly impacts the understanding of how diseases work and it helps with the designing of drugs to cure diseases. The developers of this even won the Nobel prize for chemistry in 2024. Whichever way you look at it, this scientific leap forward is worthy of praise and celebration.
Yet, the average person is unlikely to have even heard of Alpha Fold. This state of affairs is shocking, in my view. The general public seems unaware of the great health upsides of AI. Instead, they are well versed with AI’s impact with things like driverless cars, AI chatbots and deepfake videos.
Media reports are also dominated with the dangers of AI, including but not limited to a dystopian future where AI replaces humans in all sorts of ways. Part of the media’s job is to educate the public and raise awareness. Even where AI experts themselves express sensational projections, it is the media’s job to present a balanced view that considers all opinions available. But they are simply not doing this and the question is why?
What’s going on?
An obvious answer is that it’s because intriguing headlines get more clicks. In other words, driverless cars, chatbots and deepfakes are more interesting as stories than the prediction of protein structures. Put in those terms, I suppose that is a fair point and explanation. But then again, why put it in those terms?
The prediction of protein structures leads to better understanding and treatment of diseases, ultimately leading to a healthcare revolution where diseases are largely a thing of the past. Would AI stories about revolutionary healthcare treatments really not get clicks? I suspect the media are just not writing this stuff in an exciting enough way. Take the BBC’s headline for the Alpha Fold break through in 2020, One of biology’s biggest mysteries ‘largely solved’ by AI (see here). It’s a decent enough headline but I fear unless someone already has an interest in AI or biology, it’s unlikely that they will click on the headline. Especially given the vast number of other headlines that are in competition.
How can our media be incapable of making us excited about a healthcare revolution? Healthcare is more relatable than just about anything. According to Cancer Research UK, 1 in 2 people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime and there will be over 500000 new cases of cancer in the UK every year by 2038. Almost everyone either knows a family member or friend who has had health issues or has been confronted by health issues themselves. The potential huge benefits that AI has in healthcare should easily dominate the media.
It’s not just the media though…
Of course it is probably not all the media’s fault. I imagine we are equally, if not more, to blame. Would you click on an article about an AI streamlining the discharge process in a hospital? Or would you rather click on one about a deepfake video of the Pope dancing? Or maybe a headline about how you can use AI to change your voice and sound like one of your cherished popstars.
Pop culture seems to invariably prefer entertainment over all else. I think the media is slacking, but I also fear the amount of skill required to write headlines that result in many clicks for AI and healthcare may be sadly implausible. Somewhat of a damning indictment of us as a society at large.
