Do you trust a robot to diagnose you?

Do you trust a robot to diagnose you?

This week, we explore the hidden benefits of hiking and discover if meditation really works. Plus, are AI chatbots suitable for mental health? What else can you do to help soothe your mind? Plus, with extreme heat conditions on the rise, experts weigh in on practical ways to manage it.


A robot shrink? What could go wrong?

PHOTOGRAPH BY FIORDALISO, GETTY IMAGES

Chatbots and facial recognition technology are increasingly being used to treat and diagnose mental health conditions. While viral solutions are affordable and available 24/7, therapists caution that the technology might do more harm than good. Here’s what we know.


Why hiking is uniquely beneficial for your body and your brain

PHOTOGRAPH BY FRANS LANTING, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

We know running’s benefits, even on a treadmill. Hiking adds the beauty and calming effect of the outdoors in summertime—without many risks of rock climbing, mountain biking, or paragliding.

Only now do we grasp the full benefits of America’s most popular summer recreational activity. What are they?


10 ways to manage extreme heat

Climate change is making heat more extreme—and it’s making extreme heat more likely. That has some terrible implications for our health and happiness. Experts explain why you may want to change your habits: from how you read forecasts to how you stay hydrated and more. Follow these practical tips.


Read more top stories from Nat Geo

Bruno Afonso, PhD

Communication | Data | Research | Python | R | Problem solving | Cross-functional collaboration | Attention to detail | Teamwork | Toastmaster

7 个月

I don't see us having much of a choice, given the lack of health professionals worldwide. The issue is not the robot, but the lack of regulatory framework under which these products are delivered. Quite likely, the models these robots are based have been poorly trained and insufficiently tested and there is no proper regulatory body to supervise the entrance of these products into the market. Or is there? In case of physical health, we have a great amount of knowledge about the anatomy and physiology of our bodies, so a well-trained and properly quality-tested robot could well make a diagnostic for a healthcare professional and thus these precious professionals could invest more time in delivering better quality therapeutics instead. The tragic thing is that one of the first applications of these robots was the diagnosis and treatment of diseases we know the least about. Compared to the rest of our bodies, we know so little about how the brain works and how mental disorders come to life, so making a robot to surrogate a psychiatrist or a psychotherapist is probably the worst way possible to start diagnosing healthcare disorders.

Caroline Pires Carvalho

Biologist - Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) Master in Ecology and Evolution - Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro

7 个月

AI is advancing much too fast, entering things that should have more studies about AI's effects on them...

Diana Lee

writer, management, creator, realist

7 个月

I certainly wouldn't trust AI to diagnose me in any way. It's important for humans to understand that AI is as fallible as humans who created it.

回复

要查看或添加评论,请登录

National Geographic的更多文章

社区洞察

其他会员也浏览了