AI’s potential impact on healthcare is largely measured in patient outcomes, cost savings and workflow improvements, but the technology could also be used to rid the world of some of its most shocking behavior: the devastating practice of modern slavery.
According to an analysis that was part of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland—the same event where AI development has been a hot topic and U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin publicly criticized climate activist Greta Thunberg—there are 40 million people in slavery in the world today. One of many Sustainable Development Goal developed by the United Nations in 2016 is to reduce this figure by 10,000 people every day, and AI technology could play a key role in making that goal a reality.
The University of Nottingham, for instance, applied AI to satellite imaging to explore trends in labor patterns around the world.
“The technology is visually arresting,” wrote World Economic Forum Editor Gayle Markovitz. “It can highlight the nuances of modern slavery—showing regional patterns, involuntary work for adults versus children, and even industry-specific statistics. There is further work to be done, however, to develop a more granular picture of localized differences, showing more variation within countries and regions.”
Healthcare organizations view modern slavery and human trafficking as one of the world’s most troublesome issues. The American Hospital Association (AHA) has long emphasized the importance of ending these practices, providing numerous resources and spreading information whenever possible.
“The AHA, along with its nearly 5,000 member hospitals, health systems and other health care organizations, are committed to addressing all forms of violence affecting our staff as well as the patients and communities we serve,” according to an AHA document published on Jan. 21. “One aspect of AHA’s Hospitals Against Violence initiative is fighting human trafficking by highlighting leading practices, connecting health leaders with evidence-based interventions and protocols, and enabling greater data insights on human trafficking by successfully advocating with members for new ICD-10 codes related to assisting victims of human trafficking.”
AI will not suddenly make modern slavery vanish—but if the technology continues to improve, and researchers keep working together to brainstorm new potential solutions, that goal of saving 10,000 people every day may soon become a reality.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.