Technology

In my opinion, I think that properly done AI assisted doctors are a good thing. Doctors have to keep track of so much stuff that is constantly changing, just to make a diagnosis. AI guidance can and will help.

Keyword being "properly" which is probably not going to be the case.

So basically this

Healthcare is already heavily corporatized in the US, this is just another worsening step.

There are a myriad of reasons why this is bad, and feel free to ask for explanation of any. This is just off the top of my head.

• A single large monopolistic corporation should not have access to your purchasing and medical history
• A single breach can now mean purchasing history and medical history
• Huge potential for ads targeted for a person showing up on a device that isn't strictly theirs (like a family computer) that by doing so endangers their well-being.
• Reselling of "anonymous" medical info (it'll happen) that is super easy to tie back to previously purchased Amazon info.
• Third-parties who purchase info not having as hardened security as Amazon leaving data out in the open
• AI/algoithmic price-gouging on items based on medical data
• Even more god damned lobbying for anti-patient/anti-consumer based changes to health care law with the financial power of Amazon behind it
• This sets the bar for other Big Tech and what they also have to do to stay competitive
• Contacting Amazon customer service for errant prescription/care charges

Do you really want Jeff Bezos and an Amazon Board of Directors death panel deciding what care you receive?

This isn't a good alternative either. From reading the article it looks like this service is meant to screen less serious issues, and if those less serious issues need an in person doctor visit, you'll need insurance.

The deeper problem is that if our personal data is gold, our medical data is diamonds. It may not be tomorrow, or a decade from now, but I guarantee any sort of contact non-medical corporations make with our medical data will result in a darker dystopia.

Targeted ads will be more invasive. Insurance premiums can be increased for "unhealthy" purchases. Medical coverage can be denied based on economic decisions. The list can go on. We would pretty much get a more perverse profit driven medical system if companies like Amazon start wiggling their way into medicine. Also regulations won't keep us safe, you can thank lobbying for that.