Think back to the personal computers of the 1980s. Remember those big, bulky machines with their floppy disks, green screens, and limited capabilities? At the time, we thought they were amazing. And they were.

Now look at what we carry around in our pockets today. Our smartphones have more computing power than we could have imagined back then.

Well, I believe we’re about to see that same kind of transformation with artificial intelligence, only this time it could happen a whole lot faster.

By 2036, I believe we’ll look back at today’s AI the way we look back at personal computers from the 1980s. Impressive for their time, but incredibly primitive compared with what followed.

And nowhere do I think this will be more evident than in healthcare.

Think about how we practice medicine today. You make an appointment, wait days or weeks to see a doctor, spend 15 minutes explaining what’s wrong, and hope the doctor has enough time to put all the pieces together.

Now imagine something entirely different.

Imagine having your own personal AI medical assistant. One that knows your complete medical history, every medication you’ve taken, every blood test you’ve had, every scan, and every specialist you’ve visited.

Not just the last couple of years, but your entire medical history.

And here’s the amazing part. That AI assistant could compare all that information against millions of medical studies, research papers, and documented cases in seconds.

It might recognize patterns that no individual physician could reasonably be expected to remember. It could alert you to changes in your health, help identify potential problems earlier, and give your doctor a much more complete picture before you ever walk into the examination room.

Think about what that could mean for someone who has spent years trying to get an answer to a complicated medical problem.

Instead of starting from scratch every time they see a new specialist, their entire medical history could be analyzed and organized in seconds.

By 2036, I expect personalized AI medical assistants will be common, although doctors will remain essential for physical examinations, treatment decisions, and accountability.

And that’s an important distinction.

I don’t believe AI will eliminate doctors. I believe it has the potential to make good doctors even better.

A physician brings experience, judgment, compassion, and the ability to physically examine and treat a patient. AI brings an extraordinary capacity to process information, recognize patterns, and keep up with an ever-growing mountain of medical research.

Put those two together, and we could have a healthcare system unlike anything we’ve ever experienced.

Of course, there will be challenges. Privacy, accuracy, responsibility, and making sure patients aren’t simply treated like numbers in a computer. Those are serious issues that will have to be addressed.

But I think the bigger mistake would be failing to recognize the opportunity.

I’m old enough to remember when people said computers were just a passing fad. Then came the internet, and plenty of people wondered why anyone would ever need it in their home.

Today, we can’t imagine living without either one.

I believe artificial intelligence is going to follow that same path.

And here’s something else to think about. We’re not talking about 50 years from now. We’re talking about just 10 years.

The AI we’re using today may turn out to be nothing more than the Model T of artificial intelligence.

And if that’s the case, imagine what’s coming down the road.What do you think is the future of AI?

View all responses