I Hope You Are Doing Well - Will AI Widen or Close Health Care's Disparity Gap?

Sam Joseph Amirfar, M.D., M.S.
Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) promises equal access to medical knowledge, yet history suggests low-resource hospitals and underserved patients are often the last to benefit from new technologies. As an administrator at an independent safety-net hospital in Brooklyn, New York, the author has seen this pattern with the adoption of electronic health records, diagnostic technologies, and telemedicine � and AI risks repeating it, particularly as insurers deploy these tools for claim denials while underresourced providers struggle to afford comparable systems. Algorithmic inequality could become health care�s newest disparity factor. However, if we act deliberately, AI can strengthen rather than fragment care. This requires promoting equitable access policies modeled on Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act investments, engaging in national AI governance discussions through organizations such as the Coalition for Health AI, and implementing rigorous equity metrics before deploying them. The integration of AI into medicine should be shaped by those who understand its human stakes and are focused on patients� best interests. Thoughtful engagement by all will ensure that medicine continues to progress with all its human elements.

I Hope You Are Doing Well - Will AI Widen or Close Health Care's Disparity Gap?