Keynote for Allianz Elevate Health Summit, Kildare, Ireland

Belgian healthcare futurist Kung Kas discusses the transformative potential of digital technology and AI in healthcare, emphasizing a shift from reactive to proactive care. He highlights the potential of AI and digital tools to enhance patient experiences, reduce healthcare frictions, and extend healthy lifespans. Kas introduces "delight thinking," a methodology focused on unexpected, positive experiences, and explores innovations like digital twins and personalized medicine. He underscores the importance of trust and ethical considerations in leveraging data for health advancements, envisioning a future where holistic health and longevity are achievable through technology.

• Kung Kas introduces himself as a Belgian healthcare futurist who develops methodologies for creating futures rather than predicting them.
• The focus is on transforming healthcare systems from reactive to proactive, emphasizing digital and AI integration.

"My name is Kung Kas. I'm a Belgian healthcare futurist which cannot predict the future but developed a methodology trying to create future."

• Kas emphasizes the role of futurists in shaping rather than predicting the future.

• Digital tools and AI are seen as transformative for healthcare, though their integration has been slow.
• There is a need to demystify and destigmatize digital innovations to encourage their adoption in healthcare.

"AI is going to revolutionize healthcare. But if you're absolutely honest, then all these transformation tools to digitize information, to organize information, to automate process, to streamline processes in healthcare. So far it didn't work."

• Despite the potential of AI, its integration into healthcare has been slow and met with resistance.

• Delight thinking involves creating unexpected, delightful experiences that enhance user satisfaction.
• The methodology aims to remove friction in healthcare processes through digital and AI solutions.

"Delight thinking is building experiences close to magic but real based on things you didn't realize you didn't realize."

• Delight thinking focuses on creating magical, unexpected experiences that enhance user satisfaction.

• Example 1: A device called Acuane highlights veins for easier access, reducing patient anxiety and improving healthcare delivery.
• Example 2: Personalized voice reminders for medication using AI to create a more human experience.

"This is a device. It's called Acuane. You see what it does? It highlights the veins of my patient. This vein I cannot miss."

• Acuane enhances patient experience by reducing anxiety during procedures.

• AI can be used to make healthcare services more human and personalized.
• The goal is to improve service delivery and patient experience through AI.

"I used AI to become more human. Second take-home message. You're going to use really AI to be a better provider of services of experiences."

• AI can enhance the human aspect of healthcare services, improving patient experience.

• Science fiction movies serve as inspiration for futuristic healthcare ideas.
• The concept of using technology to address future health challenges is explored.

"In the past, I said, well, I'm watching sci-fi movies. This is Wall-E. really cool pixel movie about a tiny robot which serves people sitting 24/7 watching Netflix drinking soda and you could argue well that is a future this is real life we have reached that future."

• Science fiction provides a vision of potential futures, inspiring innovative healthcare solutions.

• Development of advanced medical technologies such as 3D-printed organs and next-generation weight loss drugs.
• These innovations have potential applications beyond their original purpose, such as in Alzheimer's and anti-aging.

"We currently have the first mice running around with artificial kidneys coming out of a printer."

• 3D-printed organs represent a significant advancement in medical technology.

• AI tools are being used in longevity research to predict and enhance human lifespan.
• Collaborations between AI companies and pharma are exploring the potential of digital biology.

"We now have biological language models where we can start to play with biology and try to find out whether AI can predict how you can turn an adult cell back into a young living stem cell."

• AI is being utilized to explore biological processes that could extend human lifespan.

• The healthcare industry faces challenges such as an aging population, chronic diseases, and workforce shortages.
• Addressing loneliness is identified as a critical future epidemic.

"We have way too little nurses. We have way too little doctors in the future. And the biggest epidemic coming to us is being lonely."

• The healthcare industry must address workforce shortages and the growing issue of loneliness.

• Blue Zones are regions where people naturally live longer, healthier lives.
• Simple lifestyle choices in these areas can significantly extend healthy lifespans.

"It's about five regions on the planet where people naturally get 100 years by doing super simple things. They're super social. They talk to people. They drink wine but together."

• Blue Zones offer insights into lifestyle choices that can enhance longevity and health.

• Discussion of a healthcare model where doctors are paid based on patient health, inspired by ancient Chinese practices.
• Shift towards holistic and positive medicine, encompassing physical, mental, spiritual, and financial health.
• Introduction of new practices where doctors prescribe non-medical treatments, like museum visits, for mental health.

"Can we go back to this world? A world where the doctor gets paid as long as people in the village remain healthy."

• Emphasizes the concept of incentivizing health maintenance rather than treatment.

"We start to see doctors who prescribe a visit to the museum to deal with mental issues."

• Illustrates the shift towards non-traditional prescriptions for mental health.

• Comparison of patient monitoring to package tracking, highlighting the potential of digital and AI technologies.
• Concept of digital doctors and avatars to create a more connected and less stigmatized healthcare experience.
• Example of a Finnish hospital using avatars to enhance patient experience and reduce stigma.

"A FedEx package is better off than my patient that is not normal and that is what digital and AI is going to do."

• Highlights the disparity in monitoring between logistics and healthcare, suggesting a need for improvement.

"You have to pick out of a collection of 300 avatars who you are."

• Describes a novel approach to patient identity in healthcare settings, aiming to destigmatize patient status.

• Introduction of genomic testing to identify predispositions to diseases, such as cancer, before symptoms occur.
• Discussion on the ethical and personal implications of genomic information, referencing Angelina Jolie's preventative measures.
• New technologies like home breast monitoring devices and ingestible cameras for non-invasive testing.

"We will be able to predict cancer before you see it, before you feel it based on a small DNA analysis of your blood."

• Describes the potential of genomic testing to preemptively identify cancer risks.

"I got myself sequenced in 2011... I take one supplement, luteine, which prevents that I have to eat 15 kilograms of all these vegetables each day."

• Personal anecdote demonstrating the practical application of genomic information in daily life.

• Development of AI tools and digital applications for early disease detection and management.
• Examples of AI applications like facial scanning for diabetes prediction and implantable defibrillators for heart conditions.
• Discussion on the role of insurers in the context of genomic information and personalized healthcare.

"I started to use the first AI tool on the planet called IDX, which allows me to scan the back of my eye with my camera."

• Illustrates the use of AI in personal health monitoring and early intervention.

"We can find out in advance who's predisposed, we simply implement a small defibrillator on the heart vessel."

• Describes technological advancements in preventive care for heart conditions.

• Innovations in healthcare are making it possible to conduct various health analyses at home, bringing healthcare closer to everyday life.
• Virtual hospitals, like Mercy Virtual in St. Louis, monitor patients remotely, maintaining trust between doctors and technology.
• Digital health companies are integrating data into medical records, allowing doctors to track patients' health metrics remotely.

"Doing cervical cancer analysis with a wand at home brings all of a sudden healthcare closer to your actual life."

• Home-based health diagnostics are making healthcare more accessible and integrated into daily life.

"This is Mercy Virtual in St. Louis in Missouri. And basically the hospital looks like every building you know, but at the inside there is not a single bed and not a single patient."

• Virtual hospitals represent a shift in healthcare delivery, emphasizing remote monitoring and reducing the need for physical hospital stays.

• Companies are shifting focus from selling medical devices to offering lifestyle management and coaching.
• Lifestyle changes, such as improved sleep, mindfulness, exercise, and diet, are being used to reverse chronic diseases.
• Behavioral change is challenging but essential for improving health outcomes, with innovative tools being developed to facilitate this change.

"Metronics envisions a future in which they no longer sell medical devices, in which they sell coaching, lifestyle management."

• The focus is moving towards holistic health management rather than just medical device sales.

"So that changes the narrative. And so basically why I guess you know this people motivating them to do some exercise a week lets them die well 30% chance less early."

• Encouraging lifestyle changes can significantly reduce mortality rates, highlighting the importance of behavior modification.

• Gamification strategies, like those used in Pokémon Go, have been shown to increase physical activity.
• Incentives such as free metro rides in Mexico or gold rewards in Dubai are being used to encourage healthy behaviors.
• Integrating entertainment with health goals, like using favorite TV characters as exercise motivators, is a novel approach to maintaining health.

"When we saw people doing that across the world, we've seen an increase of 30% physical activity."

• Gamification can effectively increase physical activity levels, demonstrating its potential in health promotion.

"In Dubai, I get two grams of gold for every two kilograms I lose because it's way too expensive to get me sick at the end."

• Financial incentives are being used as a motivator to encourage weight loss and healthier lifestyles.

• AI tools like Clear Mind are being developed to address mental health issues by suggesting personalized content based on user data.
• These tools aim to provide emotional support and reduce feelings of loneliness and anxiety.
• The integration of AI into mental health care presents both opportunities and challenges, as it may lead to increased reliance on technology over human interaction.

"Clear minds tells you what is bothering you? Well, what is bothering me? Kids are going to leave the house. I have exams."

• AI tools are being designed to address specific personal concerns, offering tailored support to users.

"An AI tool which basically finds magic in data."

• AI's ability to analyze data and provide personalized recommendations is being leveraged to support mental health.

• AI is poised to revolutionize healthcare by providing personalized insights and expanding the capabilities of doctors.
• New platforms like Hypocratic AI offer AI-driven support for various health needs, working alongside real doctors.
• The abundance of personal health data could lead to better anticipation of health issues and a reduction in the incidence of illness.

"They have built an AI agent store where you can hire a number of doctors for the things you need in your life."

• AI-driven platforms are expanding the range of healthcare services available to individuals.

"If it's true that we're going to have so much data from who we are then we're going to have so much insight, knowledge, wisdom."

• The collection and analysis of personal health data by AI could lead to significant advancements in preventative healthcare.

• The speaker raises concerns about privacy, ethics, and morality in data sharing, particularly in healthcare.
• There is a tension between the benefits of data sharing and the potential for ethical dilemmas, such as the pressure on parents regarding genetic information about their children.
• Trust is emphasized as a crucial element in the exchange of personal data for services.

"The question is how on earth are we going to deal with privacy with ethics and morality?"

• The speaker highlights the complexity and challenges of addressing privacy and ethical issues in data sharing.

"Your patient, your customer will be willing to share a data point if you give him something he didn't expect to get from you."

• The speaker suggests that individuals may be willing to share personal data if they receive unexpected benefits in return, emphasizing the importance of trust.

• Trust is identified as a foundational element in the exchange of personal data for services, using examples like Airbnb.
• Companies that build trust with users can leverage personal data to offer enhanced services and experiences.

"Based on trust, you build a company like Airbnb."

• Trust is the basis for successful business models that involve data sharing, as demonstrated by Airbnb's approach.

• The concept of digital twins is introduced, where digital replicas of humans are created using personal health data.
• This technology is expected to revolutionize healthcare by allowing personalized health management.

"In 2025, we have finally reached the stage where we are building across Europe the first versions of digital twins of human."

• The development of digital twins represents a significant advancement in healthcare, utilizing personal data for personalized care.

• Belgium's implementation of secure online data stores for citizens is discussed, using the Solid protocol.
• This system allows individuals to control access to their personal data, enhancing privacy and autonomy.

"In Belgium, we provide every citizen now a secure online data store on the internet, and we use a protocol for that. And remember that name, it's called solid."

• The Solid protocol empowers individuals to manage their data, ensuring privacy and selective sharing.

• The speaker envisions a future of holistic healthcare, encompassing physical, mental, financial, and spiritual health.
• The integration of digital and biological advancements will lead to novel solutions for longevity and well-being.

"A future where we're going to go to really holistic healthcare. Not just physical, not just mental but financial."

• Holistic healthcare will address multiple aspects of well-being, supported by digital and biological innovations.

• The speaker reflects on the human desire to leave a legacy and have meaningful experiences.
• People often regret missed experiences rather than actions they have taken, highlighting the value of seizing opportunities.

"Almost no one regrets the things he or she has been doing in his life. But the majority of people regret the experiences they haven't had."

• The emphasis is on the importance of pursuing experiences and leaving a legacy, as these are often the most valued aspects of life.