This week, a personal anecdote, with a lesson.

We were in LA last week for LA Tech Week, where we moderated our Investor Insights panel. Just before we left, we hurt the thumb of our dominant hand, and by ‘hurt,’ we mean broke the small bone at the tip of the digit. Which makes using a computer problematic and in attempting to maneuver everyday activities, we have a newfound empathy for those who are left-handed. Many tools are not made with them in mind.

Everyone we’d encountered dispensed advice: wrap it, splint it, take aspirin for the pain, ask AI. Or, see a doctor, which was the right advice and the way our life works, upon arrival at the hotel, our group assembled in the lobby. We were introduced to someone who was on the health panel that followed ours. We fist-bumped rather than shook hands, which roused his curiosity. We explained the issue. He asked if he could examine the finger and after identifying himself as being an orthopedic surgeon, yes, and what are the chances!!! He didn’t have an x-ray machine but had seen this injury often enough to know which bone was broken. He recommended naproxen over acetylsalicylic acid, and it would take about two months to fully heal. No splinting or wrapping it., as AI et al had recommended: that would inhibit the healing process and cause more damage than good. For the record, aspirin was counter-advised. It would take months to fully recover.

Months for a full recovery???

Most people love a quick fix, and we are no exception. Weight loss comes to mind, and now there’s a pill for that. Several, we believe, such as Wegova, Ozempic and the like. We were at a recent reunion of friends who meet once a year. One member had lost 100+ pounds in that time. “Ozempic?” someone from group who struggles with weight loss asked. “If you’d like to destroy your pancreas, sure, but it was good old-fashioned dieting,” the doctor answered. Pancreatitis is a possible side effect of the ‘medication,’ but according to this doctor, it is not rare at all. Did he exercise as well, he was asked, and being a busy surgeon, he answered, “Best exercise? Push yourself away from the table once you’ve had enough to eat.”

For the record, the orthopedic surgeon mentioned that he has uses both AI and robotics in his surgeries – as tools. He is always very much present and active during the procedures. Both were handy tools to have, but not replacements for a surgeon.

We also went online and asked AI its medical advice re our thumb. It was more or less in line with what our friends and acquaintances recommended, so we can’t help but wonder if the advice the AI dispensed came from medical professionals, or the coders themselves, considering that it was antithetical to what the orthopedic surgeon had prescribed. Again, we are not convinced that AI will take all jobs any time soon and, in this case, give the program a resounding thumbs down, as it would have led to negative repercussions in the long run in our case. So, while AI very much does have its place in the world, it’s still a tool at best and from our recent experience, one to be used with extreme prejudice in some instances. When it comes to medical advice and diagnosis, at this juncture, we are inclined to give it the finger. Onward and forward.