AI wellbeing tools ‘mustn’t replace human touch’

Artificial intelligence (AI) is already part and parcel of the health and wellbeing landscape, with it being embedded in a range of wellbeing, health, fitness and nutrition apps, but it won’t – and shouldn’t – replace the human touch, a conference has heard.

The conclusion was part of a discussion around ‘Embracing AI to create a step-change in health and wellbeing at work’ held at last week’s MAD World Festival of Workplace Culture, Employee Health and Wellbeing.

The panel was chaired by David Kirk, growth leader, technology at Aon, and brought together Kevin Lyons, senior HR manager and AI champion at Pearson, and Kris Ambler, workforce lead at the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Lyons made it clear that AI is very much driving the development of technologies such as virtual health assistants and in making interventions and support more personalised. “But there is still a long way to go and much more we can do, because AI is learning all the time,” he said.

Ambler agreed it is already providing invaluable in areas such as digital triage in terms of helping to lower barriers to access and taking pressure off services, off therapists themselves, so enabling them to allocate more of their time to actual treatment. “It is a useful addition but by no means a substitute,” he said.

Lyons also addressed the fear that AI could take jobs. “We have to be absolutely clear, AI will take jobs; it will take the routine jobs,” he emphasised.

“But remember, 60% of the roles that existed in 1940 don’t exist now. So, there will be different roles. Humans will be utilising their skills differently. AI is going to get better and better and better because it is learning,” he added.

Ambler also emphasised that, especially in an area such as counselling, there will always be a need to a human understanding of nuance, for example in understanding the difference between a firm ‘no’ and a ‘no’ that is actually a ‘yes, help me’.

“There are limitations there because we’re human. We have to be very careful and be aware of those limitations,” he said.

“I’m not sure we can already stop what’s already out of the bottle. The genie is out of the bottle,” added Lyons.

Lyons also pointed out that most experts believe AI will eventually become more intelligent than humans. “So, is AI going to become an enemy or something we need to fear?

“Or is it something that we need to create the guardrails around? I’m of the view that you create the guardrails around it and the framework, and then allow AI to do and deliver what it’s best at, and that bringing that learning and unification and blending of knowledge,” he added.

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