Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued comprehensive guidelines on the ethical use of Large Multi-Modal Models (LMMs) in healthcare, shedding light on their potential and pitfalls.
Understanding LMMs: LMMs, advanced AI models capable of processing diverse data modalities, have rapidly transformed healthcare. Platforms like ChatGPT, Bard, and Bert offer unprecedented capabilities, mimicking human communication without explicit programming.
Applications in Healthcare: WHO identifies five key applications, including diagnosis, patient-guided investigations, administrative tasks, medical education, and scientific research. Despite their benefits, concerns surround LMMs, such as generating inaccurate statements and perpetuating biases.
Key Recommendations for Governments: The WHO recommends strategic investments in public infrastructure, adherence to ethical principles, and mandatory post-release audits. Governments should use regulations to enforce ethical obligations, ensuring transparency and accountability.
Challenges and Collaborative Solutions: LMMs pose challenges in cybersecurity, bias, and misinformation dissemination. WHO advocates for a collaborative approach involving governments, technology firms, healthcare providers, patients, and civil society throughout the development and deployment stages.
Conclusion: The WHO’s guidance provides a roadmap to harness the power of LMMs responsibly in healthcare. As AI technologies reshape the sector, ethical considerations must guide their evolution for the greater public good.