Scientific progress and clinical uncertainty

Abstract

In the path underway towards Precision Medicine, two areas are in rapid development: genetics and artificial intelligence. In the genetic area, there are two current problems, both of the highest social importance. The first concerns the project, emerging in some countries, of systematic sequencing of the genome in the whole population. The problem is that reading the genome is very complex, requires specific knowledge, and the medical class is now unprepared. The second problem concerns the now achieved ability to modify the genome, which might be applied in the treatment of genetic diseases previously considered incurable. The techniques that can be used today are extremely delicate and expose to high risks. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a branch of neuroscience (‘computational neuroscience’) and advanced computer science which aims to apply the operational models of the human mind with the mnemonic and calculating power of advanced cybernetics. It is applied by conventional smartphone ‘apps’ to the most advanced computers used in various areas of diagnostic and prognostic medicine, image reading, big data management, setting of new pharmacological molecules, up to completely different applications, such as spoken language, automatic driving of vehicles, insurance plans, financial strategies, etc. Of course, with enormously different degrees of complexity. Will the doctors’ role survive?