Artificial intelligence (AI) and racial health equity:Promise and peril

Leveraging artificial intelligence’s (AI’s) capacity for vast data analysis, this chapter discusses how AI could improve diagnostic accuracy, streamline treatment decisions, and potentially democratise health access across diverse demographics. It also examines ethical concerns associated with AI. We discuss the importance of developing transparent AI systems that foster trust among healthcare professionals and ethnic minority patients. We emphasise the necessity of embedding fairness and inclusivity in AI design to mitigate algorithmic biases that could reinforce health inequalities. Equitable access to AI requires the development of user-friendly technologies and targeted efforts to improve health literacy and digital access across diverse communities. This includes creating culturally sensitive educational programmes tailored to the needs of ethnic minority groups, that could enable equitable benefits from AI advancements in healthcare. Additionally, we discuss AI’s implications for patient data privacy and governance, stressing the importance of secure and ethical data handling practices to maintain patient trust. To navigate these challenges, we need interdisciplinary collaboration, effective regulatory frameworks, and engagement from patients, the public, healthcare professionals, and other stakeholders. This can help ensure the safe and effective integration of AI into healthcare systems.