Research: Artificial intelligence can fuel racial bias in health care, but can mitigate it, too

Artificial intelligence has come to stay in the healthcare industry. The term refers to a constellation of computational tools that can comb through vast troves of data at rates far surpassing human ability, in a way that can streamline providers' jobs. Regardless of the specific type of AI, these tools are generally capable of making a massive, complex industry run more efficiently. But several studies show it can also propagate racial biases, leading to misdiagnosis of medical conditions among people of colour, insufficient treatment of pain, under-prescription of life-affirming medications, and more. Many patients don't even know they've been enrolled in healthcare algorithms that are influencing their care and outcomes.