Hyderabad: “Like many doctors, I too didn’t like AI. I had a lot of apprehension about it because I believed it would only become effective in five or six years, by which time I would have retired. I thought AI was too complicated and not something I would use in my lifetime. But over the past couple of years, I have realized its importance,” said Dr D Nageshwar Reddy, Chairman of AIG Hospitals.
He was speaking at the Kohli Centre on Intelligent Systems (KCIS) at the International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIITH), which celebrated the 101st birth anniversary of TCS founder F.C. Kohli, and hosted the fifth edition of the FC Kohli Talks.
Citing multiple examples of AI applications, Dr Reddy highlighted how AI benefits doctors, hospitals, and patients. He explained that AI is now widely used in various areas of medicine, including pre- and post-surgery care, patient monitoring, and personalized medicine. AI can significantly improve patient outcomes and reduce human error, he added.
“AI in colonoscopy can enhance polyp detection and is much more effective than the human eye. Using AI in colonoscopy is expected to improve early detection of colon cancer,” Dr Reddy shared.
He also emphasised the role of AI in studying bacteria. “The human body comprises 30 trillion human cells, 39 trillion microbial cells, 20,000 human genes, and 20 million microbial genes. AI plays a crucial role in analyzing thousands of bacteria,” he explained.
AIG Hospitals performs over 2,000 surgeries a month, and emergencies can arise in any of these cases. “By using AI in our hospital, we can prevent ‘Code Blue’ situations and save three lives a day,” Dr. Reddy stated. “Code Blue” is a universal emergency code signaling a medical crisis requiring immediate attention.
Dr Reddy also discussed how AI is being integrated into hospital infrastructure. He shared that AI-powered hospital beds at AIG Hospitals are being studied for their ability to monitor patient activity, health conditions, and recovery progress using sensors and algorithms. Additionally, he spoke about smart toilets that can analyze stool samples to aid in predictive medicine and early disease detection.
“AI can also play a significant role in drug discovery and other areas of medicine,” Dr. Reddy added.
“All these advancements are promising. But will AI replace me? No, it will not replace doctors. However, one thing is certain — an AI-savvy doctor can replace a doctor who doesn’t use AI,” he remarked.
Dr. Reddy also addressed concerns about AI’s challenges, particularly regarding data theft. “Stolen data is being sold, and cybersecurity is a major concern. The government doesn’t yet know how to regulate AI, but regulation is essential,” he added and inaugurated the Centre for Digital Technologies in Healthcare (CDiTH).
