Google’s AI Deployment in Hospitals Raises Concerns, Senator Cautions

Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, has raised concerns about Google’s testing of its Med-PaLM 2 artificial intelligence (AI) in hospitals. In a letter addressed to Google leaders, Warner warns the company about potential issues with the technology.

Earlier this year, Google rolled out Med-PaLM 2, an AI tool designed to answer medical questions and assist healthcare providers. The technology is currently being tested in a limited capacity at medical facilities, including the Mayo Clinic. However, Warner urged caution, pointing out reports of repeated inaccuracies and reservations expressed by Google’s own senior researchers regarding the readiness of the technology.

Warner emphasized the importance of not prematurely deploying unproven technology, as it could erode trust in medical professionals and institutions, worsen existing racial disparities in health outcomes, and increase the risk of diagnostic and care-delivery errors.

According to Google, the Med-PaLM 2 is the first large-language model to achieve “expert” level on U.S. medical exam questions with approximately 86 percent accuracy. Despite this claim, Warner expressed concerns about the accuracy of the technology and the privacy of patient data. He believes that the AI industry’s rush to push technology into the market before it’s fully ready is alarming, especially given the potential consequences in the healthcare field.

Warner’s letter includes a series of questions for Google leaders, seeking details on data collection, privacy safeguards, and the extent of the technology’s current usage. The Hill has reached out to Google for comment.

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