WHEN WE THINK ABOUT HAVING HEALTH INFORMATION ON OUR PHONES , IT MEANS STARTING WITH KNOWLEDGE SO THAT WHEN YOU VISIT THE DOCTOR , HAVE A HOME VISIT OR USE TELEHEALTH , YOU ’ RE PREPARED WITH QUESTIONS AND INFORMED ABOUT YOUR HEALTH .
S P E C I A L I S T I N S I G H T
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT HAVING HEALTH INFORMATION ON OUR PHONES , IT MEANS STARTING WITH KNOWLEDGE SO THAT WHEN YOU VISIT THE DOCTOR , HAVE A HOME VISIT OR USE TELEHEALTH , YOU ’ RE PREPARED WITH QUESTIONS AND INFORMED ABOUT YOUR HEALTH .
that we handle their information responsibly . On platforms like YouTube , especially in search , we don ’ t push ads against health information and we don ’ t track their activity without consent . When signing in on YouTube and asking about preferences for AI , if users consent , their watch might track steps and sleep . We work with people around the world based on information and consent .
In healthcare , it ’ s different . For instance , if someone wants to use their phone to take their temperature with a regulated device , they can do that . This feature is currently approved in the US , with plans to expand to other countries . Users will know their temperature and it will be stored on their phone . We also aim to make it easy for users to share their health data , such as temperature or AFib detection , with their providers . This can be done through Health Connect as the data storage layer or via an API with electronic health record companies .
Regarding care delivery , AI models can ’ t smell , but they can see and hear , enabling telehealth to do many things . However , it ’ s not always sufficient for every situation ; sometimes in-person visits are necessary . Most people begin their health journey by learning more about their condition . When we think about having health information on our phones , it means starting with knowledge so that when you visit the doctor , have a home visit or use telehealth , you ’ re prepared with questions and informed about your health .
For those deeply involved in technology and looking to leverage it more in healthcare , what should they focus on and prepare to invest in for the future ?
I think for the general public and doctors alike , GenAI is an exciting technology with great promise for scientific discovery , treatment and prevention . However , it ’ s still very early in the journey . At Google , we ’ re still learning what good and safe applications look like and how to tune the models to be factually accurate . You don ’ t want creative responses about something as serious as chemotherapy ; you want solid evidence behind it . Building reliable models is a fastevolving science , with ongoing work from us and other companies . While the future is promising , it ’ s crucial to understand that these are early days .
In terms of investment , I tell my teams : to think about when email was first introduced . Many of us had to learn how to use it and now it ’ s second nature . The same goes for GenAI tools . They ’ re being integrated into documents , slides , worksheets and emails . People interested in technology should not only consider its use in healthcare but also get comfortable using it in everyday life . This helps in learning how to prompt models , discern the information they provide and take extra steps to verify accuracy . �
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