Netizens and nurses, in the world of generative artificial intelligence (AI) how would you like your education resources delivered by a digital replica? Or could you deliver telehealth using an AI avatar (synthetic healthcare) or a medical chatbot? How does the trust and human relationship development occur using an avatar? If nurse training in the future involves robots and virtual reality will using simulated patients and clinical scenario’s just be the norm?

The workforce challenge: globally, it is estimated that there will be a global deficit of 4.5 million nurses and 0.31 million midwives by 2030 (World Health Organization (2022). Will AI or ‘synthetic’ healthcare workers be the answer?

Some of the areas where AI generated content has raised mixed responses in the media:

• Misinformation
• Fake celebrity healthcare professionals or well-known or respected healthcare professionals providing health advice
• Fake supportive stories from patients
• Fabricated celebrity endorsements of unproven products or treatment

Here is an example of an AI news presenter.

Resources

Agarwal, A. (2024). 4 Ways To Reduce Risks From Deepfakes In Healthcare. Forbes

Boniol, M., Kunjumen, T., Nair, T. S., Siyam, A., Campbell, J., & Diallo, K. (2022). The global health workforce stock and distribution in 2020 and 2030: a threat to equity and ‘universal’ health coverage?. BMJ global health, 7(6), e009316.

Debusmann, B. (2021). Deepake is the future of content creation. BBC news.

Mesko. B. (2023). Me and My Digital Twin: I have a Brand New Deepfake Avatar. The Medical Futurist.