Artificial intelligence could widen health inequalities for minority ethnic groups despite its potential to radicalise health care, a report warn.
A paper by Imperial College London highlighted the opportunities and barriers for AI to improve the health of the UK’s minority ethnic groups.
Researchers recognised AI's potential in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases such as skin cancer. They also argued that if key challenges in the technology are not addressed, AI could backfire.
AI systems are created by combining large amounts of data, for example from research studies or the internet. The information is then used to “train” a computer program or algorithm to make decisions based on the data.
For example, using data, AI algorithms can create “risk scores” to predict which patients might be likely to develop certain diseases in the future.
If much of this data is unrepresentative of minority ethnic groups and focuses predominantly on, for example white participants, then these systems are more likely to make decisions that exclude diverse communities, they say.
They recommend improving diversity in the AI industry and academia, and developing legislation and regulation to reduce bias in data and the systems that harness them.
Health inequalities experienced by minority ethnic groups could worse, they warn, if current challenges such as biased algorithms, poor data collection and a lack of diversity in research and development are not urgently addressed.
Minority ethnic groups generally experience poorer health than the wider population, as emphasised by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The report presents evidence of this racial bias in AI, demonstrating how minority ethnic groups can be underserved by technology.
For example, facial recognition systems have shown to be up to 19 per cent less accurate at recognising images of black men and women compared to white individuals.
Such bias is also observed in AI when used in the detection and treatment of health conditions such as skin cancer. Images of white patients are predominantly used to train algorithms to spot melanoma, which could lead to worse outcomes for black people through missed diagnoses.
Dr Saira Ghafur, digital health lead at Imperial's Institute of Global Health Innovation, said: “AI has tremendous potential for healthcare system delivery. However, our white paper shows how it can exacerbate existing health inequities in minority ethnic groups. By working across government, health care and the technology sector, it is crucial we ensure that no one is left behind.”
Lord James O’Shaughnessy, visiting professor at the Institute of Global Health Innovation, said: “Tackling health inequality is one of the major challenges of our time. Advances in AI and machine learning give us new tools to tackle this challenge, but our enthusiasm must be tempered by a realistic appraisal of the risks of these technologies inadvertently perpetuating inequalities.”
Based on this research, the scientists made a series of recommendations to better enable AI for minority ethnic communities.
These include involving patients and the public in all areas of AI technology development, creating governance systems, legislation and regulation in AI which protect data and citizen’s rights, and developing a regulatory framework to ensure algorithms are tested on and appropriate for minority ethnic groups to reduce bias in data sets.
Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group C
Liverpool v Napoli, midnight
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
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Price: On request
MO
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
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Transmission: 8-speed auto
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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Glossary of a stock market revolution
Reddit
A discussion website
Redditor
The users of Reddit
Robinhood
A smartphone app for buying and selling shares
Short seller
Selling a stock today in the belief its price will fall in the future
Short squeeze
Traders forced to buy a stock they are shorting
Naked short
An illegal practice
The specs: 2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera
Price, base: Dh1.2 million
Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 725hp @ 6,500pm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.3L / 100km (estimate)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Film: Raid
Dir: Rajkumar Gupta
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Ileana D'cruz and Saurabh Shukla
Verdict: Three stars
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Gully Boy
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi
Rating: 4/5 stars
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Ukraine v Portugal, Monday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
