A.I. in the Opioid Crisis

🙌 Mental health and the opioid Crisis, A.I. is fighting back.

Hello Everyone,

As you know I’m really passionate about A.I. at the intersection of healthcare and mental health, I was recently quoted in a Fast Company article on the topic that led to a preliminary interview with a New Yorker documentary on the topic that is forthcoming. I don’t think I made the casting shortlist for the documentary but it enabled me to have a great dialogue and conversation about A.I. at the intersection of mental health. And, as usual, it got me thinking.

Approximately three million Americans suffer from opioid use disorder, and every year more than 80,000 Americans die from overdoses.

Fast Company shows a special interest in the intersection of mental health and A.I. and I can appreciate that. Which brings me to the Opioid Crisis, that is hitting the United States and Canada particularly hard.

The opioid crisis is a public health and economic crisis that is eroding the quality of life and likely reducing labor participation rate among many working age prime males.

Can A.I. help create optimize drugs to reduce opioid addiction?

The Dangers of the Opioid Crisis

I’ve been worried about this trend for quite some time. People are dying and families are being devastated. It impacts every sector of our economy, including healthcare, education, business, and local governments. The opioid crisis recognizes no neighborhood, no race, and no class. It is neither limited to backstreets in urban settings nor isolated in rural communities.

In 2021, University of Florida researchers developed an artificial intelligence tool that will help clinicians identify patients at high risk for opioid use disorder and overdose. As usual early diagnosis and risk prevention can be huge on healthcare systems spiraling with costs and accessibility issues out of control.