Beneficial Intelligence in Laboratory Medicine: Aligning Human and Artificial Intelligence for Value-Based Outcomes

Area of Science:

• Healthcare technology
• Laboratory medicine
• Artificial intelligence

Background:

• Artificial intelligence (AI) integration is transforming healthcare and laboratory medicine, impacting diagnostics and patient management.
• Technological advancement alone does not guarantee improved outcomes; human guidance is essential.
• Beneficial Intelligence (BI) proposes a synergy of human and artificial intelligence (H + A = B), prioritizing human purpose, ethics, and empathy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and define the concept of Beneficial Intelligence (BI) within the context of laboratory medicine.
• To emphasize BI as an augmentation of human expertise, enabling patient-centered and sustainable healthcare.
• To align AI implementation with value-based healthcare principles, focusing on clinical, operational, economic, and societal outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual framework development for Beneficial Intelligence (BI).
• Analysis of AI's current role in laboratory medicine, including digitalization, automation, and machine learning.
• Emphasis on the necessity of validation against patient outcomes, structured evaluation, and human oversight.

Main Results:

• BI reframes AI as a collaborative tool, enhancing laboratory professionals' capabilities.
• Laboratory medicine is identified as a key area for BI implementation due to existing digital and AI integration.
• Responsible AI adoption requires rigorous validation and continuous human supervision.

Conclusions:

• Beneficial Intelligence (BI) is a crucial mindset for integrating human wisdom and AI in healthcare.
• This approach fosters equitable, efficient, and sustainable healthcare systems.
• The successful implementation of BI ensures technology serves humanistic goals in laboratory medicine and beyond.