Children and young people across the UK have expressed a positive outlook on the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare, according to a groundbreaking survey conducted by UCL and Great Ormond Street Hospital. This national study, the first of its kind, gathered opinions from individuals aged 6 to 23 on how they envision AI enhancing their medical care.
The survey revealed several key insights:
- Young people are generally supportive of AI in healthcare, especially if it can improve their care and outcomes.
- Respondents emphasized the importance of human oversight, preferring AI tools to be supervised by healthcare professionals.
- Participants believe AI could be accurate in analyzing bone X-rays but stressed the importance of accuracy over speed in results.
- Children and young adults recognize that AI cannot replicate certain human elements of care, such as empathy and ethical decision-making.
This study’s findings are significant as they provide valuable input from a demographic that will grow up alongside AI advancements in healthcare. The results are already being incorporated into research at GOSH, focusing on developing AI tools to better detect and describe fractures in children’s X-rays across Britain. By considering the perspectives of young people, researchers and healthcare providers can ensure that AI implementation aligns with patient preferences and concerns, potentially leading to more effective and widely accepted AI-driven healthcare solutions in the future.
