Business Insight presented by Arlington Dermatology Will computers replace us? Certainly, technology developers would answer this question with a big: YES. Artificial Intelligence, computerized phone conversations with prompts from a machine, automated payments for bills, and I could continue listing more and more. I also know many young people who never wrote a check and never paid cash for anything in their life. All financial transactions are computerized, and you can perform it all from your smart phone. Now, let me challenge you. So, what happens if your regular monthly bill for electricity or credit card shows an amount that you consider incorrect? You cannot dispute it with a computer, right? You must contact a person and discuss the possible error. Too bad that your money was already deducted, and it was much more than expected. Good luck with a phone call and reaching a live person. And even if you do reach a person, more than likely that person is from India, China, or some other far country and cannot really answer many of your questions. The healthcare industry just went through a huge challenge of a failed claims and medical records cyberattack. Granted, a huge portion of that failed platform was very compromised due to multiple factors, one of which was foreign actors working within the system. Yes, we computerize everything, and we allow employees from other countries to have access to our data. After the fact, we wonder how privacy was broken and stolen. Computers can be hacked. Computers can pick wrong answers. Computers do not have a brain, compassion, empathy, or any human understanding of basic needs. Computers work according to what they are programmed and if left without human control or supervision, they can go AWOL. Our big corporations look for cheap labor and, since computerized technology is global, they seek it outside of the country, where they can pay a fraction of what they would pay in the US. Do you think the HR departments check qualifications and records of people being hired to process your medical claims? No, the processes are outsourced to the 3rd parties, parties we cannot even name. Recently, we received communications from our research partners regarding the new electronic data systems collecting research information. Thankfully, in the research world, everything is confidential, and no names or real dates of birth are used. The new system was the most economically advantageous. However, it was developed outside of the country, and it has multiple errors and problems. Like anything in computers, the programmers did not communicate with the designers correctly so there are a lot of mistakes. However, there is no phone number to report the errors. It is all computerized so you must use a computer to communicate the errors. They might get resolved or not and you do not know when. No person was involved. In the meantime, our work is not done. Tons of time is wasted, and frustration makes us angry rather than productive. There are plenty of examples I could continue writing about. The point of starting this discussion is one: yes, computers are tremendously helpful. But they cannot run the world. There are many negative consequences of allowing uncontrolled computers to do tasks for humans. And we should start thinking about how not to get lost in the woods full of computer technology that would not only cost us loss of jobs but perhaps life-threatening errors. Michael Bukhalo, MD Arlington Dermatology 5301 Keystone Court Rolling Meadows, IL 60008 Tel. 847 392 5440 | www.arlingtondermatology.net Business Insight presented by Arlington Dermatology Will computers replace us ? Certainly , technology developers would answer this question with a big : YES . Artificial Intelligence , computerized phone conversations with prompts from a machine , automated payments for bills , and I could continue listing more and more . I also know many young people who never wrote a check and never paid cash for anything in their life . All financial transactions are computerized , and you can perform it all from your smart phone . Now , let me challenge you . So , what happens if your regular monthly bill for electricity or credit card shows an amount that you consider incorrect ? You cannot dispute it with a computer , right ? You must contact a person and discuss the possible error . Too bad that your money was already deducted , and it was much more than expected . Good luck with a phone call and reaching a live person . And even if you do reach a person , more than likely that person is from India , China , or some other far country and cannot really answer many of your questions . The healthcare industry just went through a huge challenge of a failed claims and medical records cyberattack . Granted , a huge portion of that failed platform was very compromised due to multiple factors , one of which was foreign actors working within the system . Yes , we computerize everything , and we allow employees from other countries to have access to our data . After the fact , we wonder how privacy was broken and stolen . Computers can be hacked . Computers can pick wrong answers . Computers do not have a brain , compassion , empathy , or any human understanding of basic needs . Computers work according to what they are programmed and if left without human control or supervision , they can go AWOL . Our big corporations look for cheap labor and , since computerized technology is global , they seek it outside of the country , where they can pay a fraction of what they would pay in the US . Do you think the HR departments check qualifications and records of people being hired to process your medical claims ? No , the processes are outsourced to the 3rd parties , parties we cannot even name . Recently , we received communications from our research partners regarding the new electronic data systems collecting research information . Thankfully , in the research world , everything is confidential , and no names or real dates of birth are used . The new system was the most economically advantageous . However , it was developed outside of the country , and it has multiple errors and problems . Like anything in computers , the programmers did not communicate with the designers correctly so there are a lot of mistakes . However , there is no phone number to report the errors . It is all computerized so you must use a computer to communicate the errors . They might get resolved or not and you do not know when . No person was involved . In the meantime , our work is not done . Tons of time is wasted , and frustration makes us angry rather than productive . There are plenty of examples I could continue writing about . The point of starting this discussion is one : yes , computers are tremendously helpful . But they cannot run the world . There are many negative consequences of allowing uncontrolled computers to do tasks for humans . And we should start thinking about how not to get lost in the woods full of computer technology that would not only cost us loss of jobs but perhaps life - threatening errors . Michael Bukhalo , MD Arlington Dermatology 5301 Keystone Court Rolling Meadows , IL 60008 Tel . 847 392 5440 | www.arlingtondermatology.net