Health leaders ramp up AI investments as confidence in the technology grows

Trust in artificial intelligence technology is rising sharply across healthcare, with many leaders predicting tangible cost savings in under three years. WHY IT MATTERS That's boosting investment in AI systems, according to a new Optum survey of 500 U.S. health industry leaders from hospitals, health plans, life sciences and employers, which also found 22 percent of respondents are in the late stages of AI strategy implementation. The study found revealed a nearly 90 percent increase in the number of respondents who said their organizations have a strategy in place and have implemented AI, with an average investment of just under $40 million over the next five years. Administrative process improvements top the list of investment priorities, led by technologies to help automate business processes like administrative tasks or customer service. Artificial intelligence is also expected to boost job growth and expand employment opportunities, according to survey respondents, although training in AI is seen as a stumbling block – nearly nine in 10 respondents said AI training is not happening fast enough.