Health tech gadgets displayed at the annual CES trade show make a lot of promises. A smart scale promoted a healthier lifestyle by scanning your feet to track your heart health, and an egg-shaped hormone tracker uses artificial intelligence to help you figure out the best time to conceive.
Technology and health experts, however, question the accuracy of products like these and warn of data privacy issues – especially as the US federal government eases up on regulation.
The US Food and Drug Administration announced during the annual show in Las Vegas that it will relax regulations on “low-risk” general wellness products such as heart monitors and wheelchairs.
That would mark the latest step President Donald Trump’s administration has taken to remove barriers for AI innovation and use. The White House repealed former President Joe Biden’s executive order establishing guardrails around AI, and last month, the US Department of Health and Human Services outlined its strategy to expand the use of AI.
Booths at the conference showcased new technology designed to help people living in rural areas with their healthcare needs amid doctor shortages, boost research into women’s health and make life easier for people with disabilities.
AI technologies have benefits in the over US$4.3 trillion healthcare industry, according to Marschall Runge, professor of medical science at the University of Michigan. He said they are good at analysing medical imaging and can help streamline doctors’ busy schedules, but they can also promote biases and “hallucinate”, providing incorrect information stated as fact.
