AI in Healthcare: The Promise Is Real. So Is the Risk.

Artificial intelligence is already embedded in clinical workflows, diagnostic tools, and public health surveillance systems, transforming how care is delivered faster than governance frameworks can respond. This piece examines both the promise of AI in healthcare, including improved efficiency, early outbreak detection, and personalized medicine, and its significant risks, including algorithmic bias, data privacy concerns, and the concentration of benefits in already well-resourced systems. The author argues that integrating AI into healthcare demands not only technical rigor but political and moral commitment to equity, accountability, and the preservation of human judgment in clinical care.