This report gives an introduction to the subject of artificial intelligence (AI) and suggestions for how the healthcare sector can begin to explore and understand it. The authors have studied the options for offering automated decision-making support both for those working in healthcare and for patients in their daily lives.

Three different hypotheses based on human senses were examined:

• Natural Language Processing (NLP)

• Speech and conversation-based interfaces and gadgets

• Computer vision and how machines can see and interpret the content of images and videos.

“We tried to approach these hypotheses in a modest way so as not to reject them, but more to consider how they can support patients and healthcare professionals in their work to improve the content and availability of healthcare, focussing on people-centred healthcare.”

The book is the result of a preliminary study on AI and machine learning, supported by Region Västra Götaland’s innovation fund.

The revised edition was developed with support from the strategic innovation programme Swelife.