The Algorithm Will See You Now

August 15, 2024 • by Marc Airhart

Scott Graham helps tease apart the hype and the reality around artificial intelligence and healthcare.

A man looks at his wristwatch and a ghostly hologram of a robot emerges, wearing a stethoscope

Elements of the cover image for this episode were generated using Photoshop’s generative AI tools. Photo-Illustration: Martha Morales


Today on AI for the Rest of Us, we’re talking about AI in healthcare. There are a lot of wild claims about what AI can do to help make us healthier—so how can we figure out what’s real and what’s hype? And are there some potential pitfalls with these new technologies?

On the latest episode of AI for the Rest of Us, Scott Graham is an associate professor of rhetoric at the University of Texas at Austin and author of the book The Doctor and the Algorithm: Promise, Peril and the Future of Health AI. He uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to study communication in bioscience and health policy, with special attention to bioethics, conflicts of interest and health AI.

Dig Deeper

ChatGPT Rated as Better Than Real Doctors for Empathy, Advice, USA Today

AI in healthcare: The future of patient care and health management, Mayo Clinic

Opinion: It’s not just hype. AI could revolutionize diagnosis in medicine, Los Angeles Times 

Episode Credits

Our co-hosts are Marc Airhart, science writer and podcaster in the College of Natural Sciences and Casey Boyle, associate professor of rhetoric and director of UT’s Digital Writing & Research Lab.

Executive producers are Christine Sinatra and Dan Oppenheimer. 

Sound design and audio editing by Robert Scaramuccia. Theme music is by Aiolos Rue. Interviews are recorded at the Liberal Arts ITS recording studio.

Elements of the cover image for this episode were generated using Photoshop’s generative AI tools.

About AI for the Rest of Us

AI for the Rest of Us is a joint production of The University of Texas at Austin’s College of Natural Sciences and College of Liberal Arts. This podcast is part of the University’s Year of AI initiative. The opinions expressed in this podcast represent the views of the hosts and guests, and not of The University of Texas at Austin. Listen via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Podcasts, RSS, or anywhere you get your podcasts. You can also listen on the web at aifortherest.net. Have questions or comments? Contact: mairhart[AT]austin.utexas.edu 

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