New Technologies in International Law / Tymofeyeva, Crhák et al.

through early disease detection and diagnosis, and improving the efficiency and quality of existing healthcare services. 458 Developed countries are reportedly already benefiting from integrating AI into their healthcare ecosystems, with an analysis projecting that approximately $150 billion will be saved in healthcare costs annually by 2026 in the USA. 459 The existing integration of AI into healthcare delivery in developed countries raises optimism of AI integration into the healthcare delivery of developing countries, as it could also prove transformative for public health in these countries, especially considering the successful adoption rate of previous technological advancements, including mobile phone penetration, developments in cloud computing and substantial investments in digitizing health information and introducing mobile health applications in these countries. As a result, these developing nations now have the necessary data and basic infrastructure to initiate meaningful use of AI applications. Advances in AI could also help expand and strengthen the impact of these and other digital health technologies in these nations. 460 The potential impact of AI, particularly ML, to significantly contribute to healthcare reform in developing countries is significant if properly utilized to address the issues of increasing patient demand, chronic diseases, and resource constraints, which continue to pressure the healthcare systems. This mandates the proper implementation of AI so that healthcare practitioners in these nations can focus more on the causes of ill health and keep track of successful preventative methods and interventions. 461 The advantages of applying AI to healthcare delivery in developing nations can be seen in countries like Egypt, where a medical AI tool was applied to detect common eye disorders and was used as far back as the 1980s. 462 Another example of AI use in developing nations is seen in the example of a Nigerian startup that applies medical AI tools to address access to healthcare issues by using signal processing and machine learning to improve the diagnosis of birth asphyxia in low-resource settings. 463 From the preceding, the emerging technological advancements of AI and its benefits to healthcare delivery are auspicious, as it has the potential to address several issues currently plaguing the current healthcare landscape, particularly in addressing the significant access to healthcare disparities existing between the global population, as well as within urban and rural populations. With the prevalence of issues such as the scarcity of qualified healthcare professionals, which significantly contributes to the limited access and subpar quality of healthcare services, the application of AI to healthcare delivery can eradicate these problems and minimize these challenges. 458 Ibid., (Fn 7). 459 Bohr A, Memarzadeh K, ‘The rise of artificial intelligence in healthcare applications’ (2020) 12(3) Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare 25. 460 Stoumpos AI, Kitsios F, Talias MA, ‘Digital Transformation in Healthcare: Technology Acceptance and Its Applications’ (2023) 20 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 3407. 461 Naik N et al, ‘Legal and Ethical Consideration in Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: Who Takes Responsibility?’ (2022) 9 Frontiers in Surgery 1. 462 Kastner J K et al, ‘An Expert Consultation System for Frontline Health Workers in Primary Eye Care’ (1984) 8 Journal of Medical Systems 389. 463 Owoyemi A et al, ‘Artificial Intelligence for Healthcare in Africa’ (2020) 2 Frontiers in Digital Health 1.

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