What can Artificial Intelligence algorithms in healthcare learn from Indigenous cultures?

We often associate Indigenous cultures with a deep understanding of nature rather than computing or AI. However, deep learning, connected learning and relationships are integral to both AI and indigenous learning. Perhaps indigenous people are the future of AI.

It is essential that we bring groups together to design AI. Indigenous cultures walk in multiple worlds and cross many generations. These perspectives are different but often not represented in universities curriculums. Indigenous learning sees health as holistic. Which human doesn’t need to include spiritual, mental, physical, social and emotional dimensions to their healthcare?

It is essential as healthcare providers that we give ourselves a ‘software update’ and continue a process of life-long learning, particularly about cultural competence. The indigenous practice of coming together in ‘collectives’ and looking at big data sets yields different outcomes than say a ‘western’ trained epidemiologist might conclude. Indigenous knowledges work by accumulating over time with continuous quality improvement and reflection.

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