The pervasive topic of A.I. or artificial intelligence has been hard to ignore. Lately, social media has been featuring images of animals and people making it challenging to discern if they are computer generated or not. More individuals are utilizing A.I. to make processing more efficient and develop new programs to transform the medical field and obtain data and information. The incorporation of A.I. and technology is inevitable. But how will this affect the mental health field?
Some practitioners are still struggling with Telehealth and computers. With the rapid imminence of integrating A.I., will those who find technology challenging be left behind? I myself, a Millennial, am feeling overwhelmed by the rapid changes and prevalence of A.I. Just last week, I assisted another provider with her email and laptop because she did not know how to access her email and note-taking account. Still, working with interns and an intake team who are part of the Gen Z generation has been humbling and eye-opening.
Change is the only constant in life. And, with change, we must either adapt or resist. A few things that I needed to remind myself:
1. Grace: Have grace for yourself and others who are trying their best to understand the new program/software/technology. Things that might seem rudimentary to you are not necessarily so for others.
2. Patience: Changing, learning, making mistakes…. it all takes time! See #1
3. Take what you need, and leave the rest behind: If possible, pick and choose what you’d like to use and integrate and leave what won’t serve you. Not all changes are beneficial to you. You know you the best. If it is required of you to use certain systems or programs for your career or job, see #1, #2, #4.
4. Community: Ask for help! Those who are more tech savvy are great resources! 5. Avoid the “All-Or-Nothing” mentality: Remember, like everything in life, there is no such thing as all good or all bad. There are pros and cons to everything.
Although the concept of AI can be a bit intimidating, it’s clearly here to stay. So, it’s important accept that you might have difficult feelings about this virtually unknown world. Still, AI technology may also offer clinicians ways to diagnose and treat patients that will, ultimately, benefit us, our patients, and our communities.
Written by Nicolette Kim