Kevin Kelly and DIAGENS Founder Discuss the Next Decade of Medical AI

On September 25, during the 5th Global Digital Trade Expo, DIAGENS hosted a Medical AI Industry Festival in Hangzhou, where Chairman Song Ning and Kevin Kelly, founding editor of Wired, discussed the future of medical AI over the next decade.

Song likened the shift in medical AI to the evolution from printing shops to Office software. He introduced DIAGENS' iMedImage foundation model, describing it as a tool that enables radiologists to train their own AI assistants. He said the future of medical AI will not be dominated by a single solution but will see diverse, specialized applications. Kelly agreed, adding that in the future, AI companies' key asset may be the process of generating software and continuously retraining models.

On whether AI will replace doctors, both agreed it will not. Kelly said AI can handle medical information and diagnosis better than humans, but doctors provide empathy, judgment, support and wisdom that AI lacks. Song shared a story about a patient who waited for a doctor even when he was off duty, illustrating the irreplaceable human touch.

Kelly also discussed education in the AI era, suggesting that companies will become schools as university curricula struggle to keep pace with AI development. He emphasized that the most important skill for graduates is learning how to learn and continuously improve their learning methods. Song responded that his company is exploring ways to cultivate the talent it needs.