SUBANG JAYA (April 22): The health of the planet is in dire straits but it can be addressed with emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and Big Data, said Professor Dr Sara Khalid, associate professor of Centre for Statistics in Medicine and head of Planetary Health Informatics Lab at the University of Oxford. 

“The role of health technology, specifically AI, can largely be thought of in terms of three areas, namely providing data, extracting useful information or knowledge from the data and thirdly, the adaptation of data and systems,” said Sara at the Planetary Health Summit 2024 at Sunway University on April 17. 

During her panel session titled “Artificial intelligence, human choice and planetary health: A co-creation workshop,” she noted that the ample data in health informatics enables timely and effective responses using real-time data.

“Perhaps the most critical and pressing direction for now is that of adaptation, to target these systems to a rapidly changing climate. Some examples in terms of adaptation mechanisms where technology and AI are active is that of early warning systems,” she said. 

Through AI and Big Data, personalised early warning systems for regions, areas and cities prone to high levels of pollution can be developed. 

Moreover, Sara observed that AI-based innovation technology can assist in managing disease outbreaks, pandemic response and disaster management.  

“Big data and AI can be and have been involved in diagnostics, clinical assessments, vaccine strategies and deep phenotyping,” she said. 

However, one of the main challenges with using AI and Big Data, especially in the healthcare setting, is data bias and algorithm bias, which can result in incorrect health assessments and complicate processes. 

The way forward to address this challenge is to prioritise the development of varied and inclusive data sets, establish robust testing and validation procedures, and promote collaborative efforts across multiple disciplines and sectors.

Hosted every 18 months, the Planetary Health Annual Meeting brings together scientists, policymakers, educators, leaders, medical practitioners, private sector representatives, civil society and non-governmental organisations to foster connections and engage in collaborative efforts to amplify the decade-long planetary health movement.