When I find myself driving on the 101 in Silicon Valley and San Francisco, I pay attention to the billboards.
A few years ago it was blockchain and crypto. Ugh. I’m grateful that moment has passed. Blockchain remains a promising technology, but the froth and grifting were nauseating, especially given how inexpensive and easily accessible capital was at that time.
Right now, it’s artificial intelligence (AI). Like any impressive and mysterious new technology, there are promises and perils. We each get to choose how to feel about early, uncertain, excitable times like this and what we’ll do about it.
I’ll go deeper on that in a podcast at some point (stay tuned for The Direct Care Derm, launching January 2024), but for now I encourage you to explore and embrace the simple aspects of the technology that are already freely available, literally at our fingertips.
See where it works for you and where it doesn’t. Find what you like and don’t like, and know that you and it can both improve over time.
The screenshot below shows a simple example (no need to get fancy or cute, although that can be fun) of how I use AI as a research assistant and decision making tool. This accelerates decision making and allows me to spend less time in analysis paralysis, make a decision, and move on to the next one.
I used ChatGPT-3.5 for this as it’s currently the most well known large language model that can be used by the general public for generative AI purposes.
Of course, just like research performed by a naturally intelligent assistant, it’s my responsibility to verify the research before making a decision or using it for other purposes like content creation.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and paralyzed by the genuine excitement, hype, and money grabbing, but if you’re at least a little curious and want to save some of that most precious resource — time — it’s a good place to start.
My friend, Dr. Harvey Castro, is an expert in the intersection of AI and medicine, so check him out if you’re interested in how this applies to healthcare and want to extend your learning beyond primitive uses like this one.
I know I’ll be keen on gradually integrating these tools into my practice in areas where I think they will help my patients achieve their transformations or help the practice run more efficiently.
What are some of your AI hot takes or gut reactions?
We all have them, and that’s OK. But we should also question them.
They might hold up in the end (your gut is smart), but it’s still important to question them be open to learning.
