Artificial Intelligence set to revolutionise healthcare's future, says Dr. Azad Moopen
In 2025 alone, global artificial intelligence (AI) in the healthcare market was valued at $39.25 billion, and it's expected to grow to $504.17 billion by 2032. That figure is more than a bullish forecast; it's a signpost pointing to the radical reimagining of healthcare as we know it.
Across hospitals, clinics, and health tech labs from Abu Dhabi to Zimbabwe, AI is not just making inroads; it's redrawing the entire map of medicine. In the UAE, a nation committed to becoming a global leader in digital health, this revolution is being embraced with extraordinary speed. From robotic surgeries to AI-driven health records and predictive analytics, to the future of medicine, AI is here to stay. And it's making intelligent decisions that can make a difference between life and death. Especially around precision diagnosis.
Reducing the margin of error
A misdiagnosis can be fatal. Yet, diagnostic errors affect an estimated 12 million adults annually in the United States.
That's where AI promises a quantum leap. Machine learning algorithms, fed on vast datasets of medical imaging, lab results, and patient histories, can detect abnormalities at a precision level humans simply cannot match. For example, Google Health's AI system has demonstrated greater accuracy than human radiologists in spotting breast cancer in mammograms.
A landmark study published in Nature found that Google's deep learning AI reduced both false positives and false negatives compared to radiologists in both US and UK datasets.
Meanwhile, DeepMind's AlphaFold, an AI system developed by the Google subsidiary, has cracked the protein folding problem, a breakthrough that could accelerate drug discovery and disease understanding exponentially.
In the UAE, the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) has launched Malaffi, the region's first Health Information Exchange, aiming to use AI to centralise and analyse patient data across providers. The ability to use this data to predict, rather than merely treat, illnesses could shift healthcare from a reactive to a preventive model.
Diagnoses and resolution
AI doesn't just diagnose; it also prescribes. Clinical decision support systems (CDSS) are now guiding doctors through labyrinths of data to arrive at the best course of treatment, not just generally, but for specific individuals.
IBM Watson for Oncology, trained by oncologists at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, has been assisting physicians globally by recommending personalised cancer treatments based on clinical evidence.
'In the UAE, AI is already augmenting healthcare through robot-assisted surgeries at hospitals like the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Aster, Medcare, and Mediclinic. These systems offer precision, reducing recovery times and surgical risks.'
Opening channels of accessibility to expertise
But the real power lies in the democratisation of this expertise. Through cloud-based platforms and mobile apps, AI-driven diagnostics and treatment recommendations could soon be available even in remote regions of the world, addressing longstanding inequities in access to care.
Imagine knowing you are likely to develop a certain disease, not from vague probabilities but with high certainty, years before any symptoms appear. That's not science fiction; that's predictive analytics – something AI can do with great precision.
AI systems now analyse through reams of patient data, genomic information, and real-time wearable sensor data to identify at-risk individuals. For instance, Mount Sinai's AI research has produced significant advances, particularly in coronary artery disease prediction using electronic health records (EHRs)
In the Gulf, where lifestyle-related diseases like Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular issues are prevalent, such tools are not only welcome they are necessary. The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) is already piloting AI-based prediction models for chronic conditions, and wearable integration with digital health platforms is underway.
The fusion of wearables with AI is particularly transformative. A UAE-based healthcare entity recently partnered with global tech players to pilot remote monitoring systems, allowing doctors to track patients' vitals in real time and intervene early turning reactive care into proactive protection.
If the trends are any indication, the future hospital will not only treat patients better but run smarter. AI-powered logistics, staffing algorithms, and patient-flow management systems are already optimising operations, reducing wait times, and improving outcomes.
In SEHA's flagship Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, AI is being used to streamline triage and improve emergency room response times. Globally, institutions like Johns Hopkins Hospital in the U.S. are using predictive models to anticipate ICU demands, freeing up resources in advance and preventing crises.
These smart hospitals are not just defined by flashy tech but by a philosophy: data-driven care that is seamless, efficient, and human-centric.
Ethical Guardrails
The AI-in-healthcare narrative isn't without its ethical dilemmas. Questions of data privacy, algorithmic bias, and accountability loom large. But that's where governance and regulation step in. In the UAE, the National Strategy for AI 2031 includes strong frameworks for ethical AI use, ensuring transparency, data protection, and oversight.
Importantly, AI is not about replacing doctors but about enhancing their capacity. It frees clinicians from paperwork and routine diagnostics so they can focus on what machines can't replicate: compassion, creativity, and critical thinking.
The question is not whether AI will change healthcare, but how boldly and responsibly we will embrace that change.
This opinion piece is authored by Dr. Azad Moopen, Founder Chairman, Aster DM Healthcare.
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