Letters to the Editor
In Reply
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The many positive direct responses to our article and the additions printed here emphasize the importance of the current development of artificial intelligence (AI) for medicine. At the same time it shows which uncertainties still exist in handling AI and how important the relevant competence is – not only for future doctors, but also already for the current generation. It is definitely worth the effort: If in future we succeed in using AI responsibly for handling the always substantial volumes of medical data, information, and knowledge, this will improve not only routine medical care but also enable better translation of new scientific insights into medical practice.
A major focus will be on “large language models” (LLM)—that is, AI based language/speech models. Already existing examples include chatGPT (https://chat.openai.com/) or Google Bard (https://bard.google.com). Many of these models can be used free of charge, and it is worth trying them out in practice with medical questions.
In a recent article, Shah et al. drew attention not only to the potential of large language models for medicine but also the resulting responsibility: “There is increased interest in and potential benefits from using large language models (LLMs) in medicine. However, by simply wondering how the LLMs and the applications powered by them will reshape medicine instead of getting actively involved, the agency in shaping how these tools can be used in medicine is lost.” [text taken from the original article] (1).
The responsibility mentioned explicitly in this article will and should remain with doctors for the foreseeable future. But doctors must also take that responsibility and consider their participation in developing and evaluating AI systems for patient care as their very own important task.
DOI: 10.3238/arztebl.m2023.0214
Prof. Dr. med. Kai Wehkamp
Prof. Dr. med. Dr. h.c. Stefan Schreiber
Klinik für Innere Medizin I, Universitätsklinikum
Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel
Kai.Wehkamp@uksh.de
Prof. Dr. med Michael Krawczak
Institut für Medizinische Informatik
und Statistik,Christian-Albrechts-Universität,
Universitätsklinikum,Schleswig-Holstein
Conflict of interest statement
The authors of all letters to the editor declare that no conflict of interest exists.
| 1. | Shah NH, Entwistle D, Pfeffer, MA: Creation and adoption of large language models in medicine. JAMA 2023 5; 330: 866–9 CrossRef MEDLINE |
| 2. | Wehkamp K, Krawczak M, Schreiber S: The quality and utility of artificial intelligence in patient care. Dtsch Arztebl Int 2023; 120: 463–9 VOLLTEXT |
