Russian Time Magazine

The Future of Medicine and AI

Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: Benefits, Risks, and Emerging Technologies

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly transforming the healthcare sector. It’s already helping doctors make more accurate diagnoses, streamlining routine tasks, and accelerating scientific research. However, alongside these advantages come controversial questions — especially when it comes to future technologies like the cultivation of so-called “bodyoids.”

Where is AI already being used in medicine?

AI is becoming a powerful assistant in clinics, especially in the United States. According to a survey by the American Medical Association (AMA), most doctors hope that technology will reduce the time spent on paperwork and allow more focus on face-to-face interaction with patients.
Here are some areas where AI is already making a difference:

  • Breast cancer diagnosis: Algorithms analyze mammograms and help detect tumors, particularly in complex cases—such as when breast tissue is dense.
  • Medical data processing: AI helps sort and analyze massive amounts of data in patients’ electronic health records.
  • Personalized medicine: Based on genetic information, AI can recommend customized treatment plans.
  • Early detection: Neural networks are already capable of identifying diseases in their early stages—from diabetes to cancer.
  • Complication prediction: For example, real-time systems can assess the risk of a patient’s condition worsening in intensive care units.

Important: For AI to be truly effective, it must be trained on diverse and balanced data sets—otherwise, there’s a risk of bias in the algorithms (for example, they may perform poorly on patients with certain ethnic characteristics).
What do doctors think?

Doctors approach AI with cautious optimism. According to the AMA:

  • 41% of physicians feel a mix of enthusiasm and concern.

Their main worries include breaches of patient privacy, the loss of human connection in care, and the risk of over-relying on algorithms.

AI systems also require regular updates. For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a system developed at the University of Pennsylvania to assist oncologists began making errors due to changes in clinical patterns and working conditions. The algorithms had to be urgently reconfigured.
What are “bodyoids” and why are they being developed?
Bodyoids are artificially grown human bodies without consciousness. Scientists suggest using them in medicine for:

  • Testing new drugs
  • Growing organs for transplantation
  • Studying the development of human tissue and disease
  • Because bodyoids lack consciousness and can’t feel pain, their use is considered ethically less controversial than experiments on animals or embryos.
Still, the technology raises many questions:

  • Where do we draw the line in bioengineering?
  • Can we truly avoid dehumanizing medicine in the process?
  • Who will oversee and regulate these advancements?

The researchers behind the concept—Carsten T. Charlesworth, Henry T. Greely, and Hiromitsu Nakauchi—believe bodyoids could save thousands of lives but agree that a broad ethical debate is necessary.

AI is already proving useful—helping doctors, improving diagnostic accuracy, and easing the burden on healthcare systems. But it’s essential to implement these technologies wisely:

  • Acknowledge and manage the risks
  • Limit overdependence on AI
  • Ensure strong data privacy protections
  • Preserve human interaction in patient care
Breakthrough ideas like bodyoid cultivation must be openly discussed among society, doctors, and scientists. The future of medicine lies in technology — what matters most is using it not just efficiently, but responsibly.
2025-04-10 22:31 LIFESTYLE