Like most other corners of the tech world, Google sees AI powering the next innovations in health technology. The company's annual The Check Up event expanded on its plans to add a personal health chatbot to the Fitbit app, expand Google Lens for better skin condition searches and use a version of its Gemini chatbot in the medical field. One of the more intriguing of Google's announcements on Tuesday was more detail about an experimental AI feature for Fitbit users, briefly teased last year. Fitbit Labs will let owners draw correlations and "connect the dots" from health data tracked using their wearable devices. A chatbot in the mobile app will let you ask questions in natural language and create personalized charts to learn about your health.

Mike de la Cruz is the CEO of Directly. He is a technology visionary in how software and AI can improve the customer experience. The growth of AI has brought the emerging technology to a wide range of professions, including those that have traditionally required "the human touch." In the past, high-touch professions have been considered "robot proof," but that is no longer the case. Recently AI technology has inspired numerous think pieces that explore whether AI can do the work of social workers, counselors, guest services specialists, doctors and even babysitters. In the majority of cases today, the AI systems that have made their way into these professions perform very simple tasks.

Barely a week of the COVID crisis goes by without a government or major health organization launching a chatbot to help in the information and business recovery effort. For the immediate future, bots will play a key role in public health awareness, and at the personal level in health checks and as mental health companions, with health bots estimated to be worth $700 million by 2025. Chatbots got a big lift in IT and business circles during the early weeks of the COVID crisis. They helped provide a worrying public with honest information and answering their questions at volumes that no call centre could manage, launching in days not weeks, and proving that most bots can happily work without AI bells and whistles to deliver key benefits. Now we are, hopefully, past the peak of the virus, the need for bots is maintaining a solid pace.

The new strain of coronavirus sweeping across the world has put the UK Government on alert as the number of cases in the country surged past 100 this week. Warnings have been issued that up to one in five workers in the UK could be off sick at the peak of the outbreak. Babylon, which has been campaigning for a "digital-first approach" to health services, has taken additional measures to support patients who might turn to the app for advice, including revisions to information cards on coronavirus within its app. It is coordinating with the NHS and World Health Organisation as part of an effort to "identify, contain and help delay the spread of the virus". It also operates a 24/7 video service in its app, which gives patients access to a GP from their smartphone. Dr Grimes said it is "really helpful at a time like this", as patients can access clinicians remotely and "stop the spread of illness between patients congregating at a clinic".

The public's concerns about accuracy, cyber-security and the inability of AI-led chatbots to sympathise could be in the way of successfully introducing artificial intelligence into healthcare, new research led by the University of Westminster has found. The study involving the University of Westminster, the University College London and the University of Southampton is the first to look at public attitudes towards AI in healthcare, and it comes at a crucial time following the £250 million funding announcement for AI in the NHS. This new research developed a concept of'AI hesitancy' which shows that a large proportion of the public is reluctant to use AI-led services for their healthcare, particularly for more serious illnesses. However, the newly announced NHS funding does not consider public acceptance of this technology. Therefore, the researchers warn that increased focus on AI in the NHS can increase health inequalities and may be detrimental to public health in the UK.

Although there are a myriad of industries and domains that Artificial Intelligence could significantly impact and disrupt over the coming years, the healthcare industry is poised to witness the biggest paradigm shift. As on today, image recognition algorithms are already helping when it comes to detecting diseases at an astounding rate. Interestingly, one the first chatbots to be developed was ELIZA who happened to be a psychotherapist. Developed back in 1966, she was a computer program that simulated an actual therapy conversation to the extent that people actually believed that it was a human at the other end. The doctor-patient relationship has not changed over the years.

From all the fields that Artificial Intelligence will disrupt in coming years, HealthCare may see the highest paradigm shift. Artificial Intelligence's influence in HealthCare industry will be wide and immense. Image recognition algorithms already help detect diseases at an astounding rate. This shift should be welcome. Artificial Intelligence at first glance, will bring remarkable well-being to humans.

From all the fields that Artificial Intelligence will disrupt in coming years, HealthCare may see the highest paradigm shift. Artificial Intelligence's influence in HealthCare industry will be wide and immense. Image recognition algorithms already help detect diseases at an astounding rate. This shift should be welcome. Artificial Intelligence at first glance, will bring remarkable well-being to humans.