As I looked through the titles for this month’s issue, I was overwhelmed by the number of articles discussing topics that at one time would have seemed futuristic or impossible. Has medicine caught up to “The Jetsons”? Are we now part of a scene from “Star Trek”? Who would have thought that we could learn from each other in the metaverse, trust our IOL choices to AI decision-making or even worry that one day some of our skills could be replaced by a robot?
I remember a time when my father tried to teach me to use a slide rule; he thought that calculators would be the demise of our brains, robbing us of our ability to do math. He also predicted that humans would become sedentary when TV remote controls were invented. Now we have ChatGPT to write anything for us, from articles to retirement announcements and obituaries. Will people stop using the creative and analytical sides of our brains, or will the time saved by using AI allow us to expand our learning? Will AI-powered tools in the office make us more efficient, help us save money and afford us additional time with our patients or to see more patients?
I’m amazed at how many of my colleagues understand and have embraced AI and the virtual world. It’s an exciting time and gives me insight into what it must have been like to watch the evolution of transportation, the telephone and early computers. I remember a very funny episode of the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” in which she invited millennials onstage to look up a plumber in the yellow pages then use a rotary phone to call him. They were baffled by this “ancient” technology. Will that be the next generation’s response when they must write a paper, determine which lens and power to use, or simply make a decision without the support of AI? Will we as humans lose our ability to think? I know that, despite living in the same area for 20 years, my son cannot find his way around town without GPS. I must admit, it does concern me a little that even I have become completely dependent on the internet. Will the future look like a scene from “The Matrix” once AI continues to learn beyond what we are capable of as humans? It seems far-fetched now, but at one point so did air travel, online meetings and self-driving cars. Yet they all now exist.
Advanced technology is being used in ophthalmology, and it continues to evolve. There are plenty of advantages to utilizing this technology, such as developing better algorithms for diagnosis and treatment of disease, expanding educational opportunities and streamlining healthcare. However, we are reminded every day that human intelligence, communication and contact is what sets us apart from other animals. My hope is that we will strike a balance between the inevitable evolution of technology and maintaining thoughtful, creative decision-making and human connection. OM
