Healthcare is becoming more about predicting illness rather than treating it. From genome-based insurance pricing to AI-generated risk scores, supporters say predictive medicine promises a health revolution — but critics are warning us that it’s nothing more than a preemptive profit engine. The NHS, United Health Group, and Kaiser Permanente are just a few of the major healthcare providers using AI to determine patient eligibility, prioritise care, and flag high-risk patients.

• A recent report from the Brookings Institution highlighted concerns that predictive tools are being implemented without sufficient oversight by regulators, making the systems less transparent and more immune to public accountability [Source: Brookings]
• A 2022 BMJ study warned that AI tools for predicting health patterns may rely on flawed or incomplete data sets, perpetuating racial and/or socioeconomic bias [Source: BMJ]
• In 2023, the NHS started using machine learning in pilot programs to fast-track identification of cancer patients deemed at risk, deprioritising those with lower projected benefit [Source: Gov.uk]
• AMA reports that AI tools tell insurance companies to deny treatment for up to 16 times more patients than if they were subject to human review, and warns AI must be used under strict supervision [Source: AMA]