During a recent Senate Committee on Finance hearing, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) led talks on the crucial role artificial intelligence (AI) plays in healthcare and finance. In order to investigate the legislative measures required for an equitable deployment of AI, Senator Menendez consulted experts focusing on resolving inequities and assuring justice.
Senator Menendez questioned the leading authority in health AI research, Dr. Ziad Obermeyer, about how AI affects health outcomes, especially for underprivileged populations. Menendez underlined the racial prejudice present in a commonly used health prediction algorithm while highlighting a troubling report. Due to this algorithm’s erroneous assessment that Black patients were healthier than White patients, there are now large differences in the distribution of healthcare resources.
Underscoring the value of diversity in clinical trials, Senator Menendez also introduced his bipartisan DIVERSE Trials Act, which aims to improve accessibility and representation in research. He mentioned cutting-edge AI technologies as useful instruments for enhancing trial diversity through the identification of appropriate treatment facilities, which raises the proportion of Black patients enrolled in cancer trials.
Ensuring accessibility of AI-driven healthcare services
Senator Menendez voiced worries about the accessibility of AI-driven healthcare services and sought advice from Siemens Healthineers’ Peter Shen. He pointed out that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) do not provide consistent or enough reimbursement for AI medical services to fulfill patient demands. In order to increase everyone’s access to AI-driven healthcare services, Senator Menendez argued for regular Medicare payments.
Senator Menendez addresses worries about AI’s potential to amplify financial crime, scams, and healthcare issues when participating in AI policy talks. His legislative initiatives seek to guarantee that American leadership is maintained in developing global AI standards consistent with national interests and values.
To sum up, Senator Menendez’s support for the fair application of AI in healthcare and finance demonstrates his dedication to resolving inequalities and guaranteeing justice in AI applications. In the creation and application of AI technologies, Senator Menendez aims to advance accountability, diversity, and accessibility by enlisting the help of experts and advocating for legislative actions.
Source: https://www.cryptopolitan.com/menendez-pushes-equitable-ai-in-healthcare/