The innovative applications of technology in healthcare are poised to alleviate the pressing issue of ageing populations, a challenge that many countries are confronting, despite persistent hurdles.
As Health Minister Ong Ye Kung emphasizes, the convergence of artificial intelligence, genomics, and a pivot towards proactive health care is fueling an extraordinary moment for addressing healthcare concerns.
Genomic medicine, also known as precision drugs, leverages individual genetic profiles and environmental factors to deliver highly tailored healthcare solutions, enabling more accurate diagnoses and targeted interventions. Simultaneously, opportunities emerge to enhance the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, according to Ong, who discussed this development during a fireside chat at ST Engineering’s InnoTech.Healthcare conference this week.
According to the World Health Organization, by 2030 it is projected that one in six people globally will be aged 60 years or older, equivalent to approximately 1.4 billion individuals comprising a significant portion of the world’s population. By 2050, the global population is expected to almost double to a staggering 2.1 billion, with the number of people aged 80 or older skyrocketing to a projected 426 million.
By 2050, nearly two-thirds of individuals aged 60 and above may reside in low- and middle-income countries.
As the population ages, this phenomenon drives numerous advancements in healthcare, as the correlation between aging and increased illness load and sicknesses contributes to rising healthcare costs, affecting both individuals and governments worldwide.
Singapore, among other international locations, is proactively addressing the challenge of an ageing population by developing strategies to ensure its long-term sustainability and well-being. As aging is an inescapable reality, Dr. Ong suggests that the nation should prioritize proactive measures and leverage available expertise.
According to Ong, combining information with AI capabilities enables the provision of valuable insights into individuals’ susceptibility to specific illnesses, subsequently facilitating essential preventative measures. He emphasized that data must be thoroughly scrubbed of personally identifiable information (PII) and de-identified to ensure its confidentiality.
Singapore is actively developing the necessary infrastructure to support innovative healthcare initiatives by establishing a standardized digital medical report (EMR) platform, accessible to all healthcare providers, including hospitals and private clinics alike. General Practitioners may be expected to submit patient data to a unified information hub.
Security measures must be in place to mandate compliance with necessary safeguards for protecting information.
Singapore has proposed a framework that would govern the secure collection, access, usage, and sharing of health information across its healthcare system. While the nation’s Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system was launched in 2011 as a centralised health data repository, its primary usage is confined to public healthcare institutions. As of October 2023, participation by non-public suppliers in the system remains voluntary, with only 15% having opted to use it thus far, according to Singapore’s health ministry statistics.
Experts argue that the notion of a unified, comprehensive profile encompassing an individual’s overall well-being is a myth, as knowledge in this realm is often dispersed and fragmented across multiple disparate sources. The Wellbeing Ministry asserts that a nation-wide Electronic Health Record (EHR) system would merely necessitate access to essential health data, including diagnoses, medications, allergies, and laboratory results. Suppliers could gain access to patients’ relevant abstract medical data, necessary for providing optimal care.
The proposed invoice, set to be debated in parliament next week, aims to require all licensed healthcare providers to share their expertise with a digital health repository. The revised text reads:
This framework outlines the essential criteria for healthcare providers participating in and accessing the information platform, specifying the necessary requirements they must meet. Reporting cybersecurity incidents and knowledge breaches, akin to an unauthorised entrance, evokes a sense of vulnerability and potential compromise.
While strong knowledge management is indeed crucial, the potential risks associated with emerging technologies such as genomics and AI necessitate even more robust safeguards? He posits that incorporating genomic data into hiring decisions would yield a plethora of issues, including the fact that its application in underwriting life insurance policies has been prohibited in certain regions.
As Ong notes, the adoption of AI in healthcare will hinge upon the establishment of robust control mechanisms to mitigate potential pitfalls.
Addressing the deepfake downside
Concerns about deepfakes emerged at the conference, sparking a debate about the potential dangers posed by this AI-enabled technology. Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for the Prime Minister’s Office, Desmond Tan, warned that deepfakes cannot be ignored as cybercriminals increasingly turn to advanced AI tools in their attacks.
During his address at the convention’s keynote session, InnoTech.AI, Tan highlighted the ease with which fraudsters can generate convincing videos using just a handful of images and a snippet of audio sourced from the internet or social media.
The official noted a staggering 500% surge in deepfakes in Singapore over the past year, emphasizing the urgent need to address these threats and harness AI’s potential benefits, such as accelerating disease detection.
Singapore Technologies Engineering (ST Engineering) aims to support companies in their digital transformation journey with the unveiling of its Einstein.AI platform. Einstein.AI is a cutting-edge platform that leverages advanced technology to verify the legitimacy of digital content, utilizing robust fact-checking capabilities and sophisticated algorithms to detect and debunk audio and video deepfakes with unparalleled accuracy.
The software program scrutinizes the transcript of the content material, cross-referencing it against established information platforms or other reputable media sources chosen by users. The AI tool further conducts stance and sentiment assessments to identify and flag any instances of possible hate speech or discriminatory language within the content.
Organisations utilising ST Engineering’s Einstein.AI platform have the flexibility to define parameters for these audits.
The AI platform does not engage in facial recognition and therefore is incapable of authenticating individual identities. Fairness-driven algorithms scrutinize patterns to determine whether the content’s authenticity has been compromised through manipulation.
Trained in-house, Singapore Technologies’ engineers cultivated Einstein.AI by exposing it to a curated selection of video and audio snippets featuring individuals alongside their artificially generated, deep-fake duplicates, thereby honing its ability to discern subtle differences between authentic and fabricated representations.
Singapore Technologies Engineering is actively soliciting proposal submissions for collaborative partnerships with expanded training institutes to develop advanced analytics initiatives aimed at boosting the effectiveness of its deepfake detection capabilities, potentially integrating these enhancements into its existing Einstein.AI platform.
The vendor notes a willingness to integrate various AI styles via strategic partnerships, further enhancing the platform’s capabilities.
