AI Face Scanner Predicts Cancer Survival From Selfies
Above: The corporate offices of Massachusetts General Brigham hospitals in Assembly Square in Somerville, Mass. on Jan. 27, 2022. Image copyright: Lane Turner/Contributor/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
FaceAge is a groundbreaking advancement in precision medicine, offering doctors an objective, quantitative tool to enhance critical treatment decisions. The technology transforms subjective visual assessments into reliable biomarkers, potentially saving lives by helping clinicians better match treatment intensity to patient resilience.
Establishment-critical narrative
The rush to implement AI-based appearance analysis in health care not only raises privacy concerns but also risks perpetuating biases and creating new forms of discrimination. The technology's training data lacks diversity, and without proper safeguards, insurance companies could misuse this tool. Patients might also face psychological harm from learning they look older than their age.