By Heidi Bell, Growth Director, Inizio Evoke Europe
Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of attending a refreshingly honest talk on the ‘7 Cardinal Sins of AI’ delivered by Marco Andre, Global Head of Marketing & AI Excellence at Novartis, at the GlobalLink NEXT EMEA Conference in London.
The session underscored how these “sins” of AI - often seen as pitfalls - also offer immense opportunities, especially in healthcare marketing.
Here’s my summary of Marco’s insights, along with some reflections on how each “sin” could actually propel our industry forward.
Hallucination
Definition: AI-generated content that appears plausible but is actually fabricated or incorrect.
The potential for misinformation here is clear, impacting trust in AI and raising ethical and legal concerns. Yet in healthcare, this tendency can inspire creative exploration and even innovation - so long as we keep a critical human eye in the loop. With proper oversight, “hallucinations” can lead to unexpected discoveries and creative breakthroughs.
Dependence
Definition: The risk of excessive reliance on AI, possibly diminishing human skills and critical thinking.
In healthcare, AI can help us do more, and faster, allowing patients to receive the right treatment at the right time. It’s essential, though, that we balance AI support with human expertise to maintain critical skills across the field.
Bias
Definition: AI systems may perpetuate or amplify biases inherent in the data they're trained on.
This bias is glaring in healthcare marketing — for example, a quick search for "nurse" often yields predominantly female images, reinforcing stereotypes. Beyond representation, bias impacts health equity, making it crucial for us to address these systemic biases actively and responsibly as an industry.
Loss
Definition: Concerns about AI taking over jobs, leading to human obsolescence.
While technology has consistently transformed the job market, AI’s role should be seen as enhancing human productivity, not replacing it. The goal is human-AI collaboration, where AI empowers us to be more efficient, creative, and impactful.
Greed
Definition: The perception that AI investments consume excessive resources without clear returns.
Marco cited Amazon’s strategy of reinvesting profits for years before realizing exponential growth, exemplifying how strategic patience can pay off. In healthcare, similar approaches could yield significant returns – for example diagnosing patients earlier which takes the pressure off healthcare systems, amplifying our ability to make a global impact over time.
Deception
Definition: The use of AI for generating deceptive content, such as deepfakes or misinformation.
While this presents genuine risks, especially in media and information, healthcare could find ethical applications here. Imagine resurrecting scientific pioneers — like an “Abba Voyage” for science — where their expertise educates and inspires new generations. Used responsibly, these tools offer novel ways to connect with history and convey knowledge.
Control
Definition: The fear that AI could become uncontrollable and pose an existential risk to humanity.
Luckily for us, in healthcare, AI is more an ally than an adversary, assisting in critical areas like early cancer detection. When managed and guided with human oversight, AI can save lives and ease the burden on healthcare systems worldwide, driving a positive impact on a massive scale.
My takeaway
In healthcare, AI enhances human potential, which aligns perfectly with Inizio Evoke’s mission to make health more human™. As we leverage AI’s power, our responsibility is to navigate these “sins” thoughtfully, maximizing AI’s benefits while mitigating its risks.
And in the spirit of transparency on the topic of AI - full disclosure - I drafted this blog myself, then gave it a polish with ChatGPT to refine the grammar 😉.
If you ever have the chance to see Marco speak, don’t miss it - his insights are not only informative but also incredibly engaging. Follow Marco on LinkedIn for more thought-provoking content!
To find out more about how Inizio Evoke is using AI to enhance human potential in health get in touch.