IBM

Watson: IA has created life-threatening cancer treatments

In 2017, IBM presented to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (SAOC) a set of treatments, generated by Watson artificial intelligence, which allegedly had potential to help recover cancer patients. Investigations following this presentation say, however, that the procedures suggested by AI include several potentially life-threatening practices.In one of the cases analyzed by the system, Watson suggested a drug that could have a fatal side effect for the virtual patient being tested. According to the reports, the guinea pig was losing a lot of blood due to a set of internal bleeding caused by cancer, and the prescribed treatment consisted of a tablet that could intensify that condition.The report investigating the treatments blames IBM engineers and doctors at the Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center for errors since they were the experts who developed the medical strand of artificial intelligence. What has led to this situation, according to SAOC experts, was the fact that the system was confronted with artificial situations created by doctors and engineers for testing rather than real cases and reliable information from human patients. Apparently, the approach failed, and one of the doctors who turned to Watson's features even commented to IBM that the system was "shit."Note that this suggestion made by the AI ​​happened during a test and did not have any repercussions in real patients.Despite the results of the analyzes made to Watson's suggestions, a spokesman for the Jupiter hospital in Florida confirmed to Gizmodo that artificial intelligence is still used to generate recommendations in real cases. Doctors do not fully trust the judgment of the system, which is only used as "additional opinion" in cases that arrive there every day.

IBM is aware that the system needs repairs and is asking for feedback from all customers using the system on its services, but has ensured that the upgrades launched between 2017 and 2018 are expected to substantially improve Watson's operation in its strand clinic.

Sapo