Artificial Intelligence and Kidney Donation: How Technology is Changing Medicine.

Questions from Readers

According to Vox: For the past few years, we have been asking Future Perfect newsletter readers about their biggest questions. This week, we decided to address them in a mailbox format.

We answered questions from three readers related to major topics: artificial intelligence, animal welfare, and altruistic kidney donation. If your question did not make it into these, feel free to write to us in the future.

Methods to Verify AI Responses

What methods can be used to verify the accuracy of the information provided by AI?

When you ask AI a question, first think about its nature: can an objective answer be obtained? It is best when you find it difficult to get an answer, but after clarifying it through AI, you can easily verify it.

AI is particularly useful for semantic searches. For example, if you can't recall a specific theory in psychology, AI may be able to help.

The same applies to other facts that can be verified through observation or data, such as: 'What is the boiling point of water?' or 'Is it true that humans share 98.8% of their DNA with chimpanzees?'.

Subjective Questions and Ethics

There are questions for which there is no definite answer. In such cases, be more cautious with AI. Ethical dilemmas often fall into this category, and AI may be limited in consulting on ethical issues as there is no universal truth in ethics.

— Sigal Samuel, Senior Reporter

Subjectivity in Journalism and Animal Welfare

Why do most journalists abandon their understanding of objectivity regarding the issue of 'animal agriculture'?

This is one of the biggest gaps in their journalism. Starting from adolescence, it is reinforced by family ties and extends to friends and advertising.

Journalists, like all people, have their biases. This is manifest in the low coverage of factory farming issues, which is a source of cruel treatment of billions of animals.

• Animal welfare is often not mentioned or ignored.
• The responsibility of those who support meat producers, companies, or scientists associated with it.
• Misrepresentation of farming as a primary source of environmental pollution.
• Unverified narratives about solutions to farming problems.

— Kenny Torrella, Senior Reporter

Kidney Donation and Legislation

Stories like those told by Dylan Matthius made me think about kidney donation to strangers.

Unfortunately, my second kidney will probably die along with me.

In the US, only a small percentage of living donations go to strangers. Meanwhile, over 100,000 people are waiting for a kidney. In some countries, donation is only allowed to relatives or known recipients.

Unfortunately, such efforts can lead to inequality and injustice. But in Iran, there is a regulated system that pays kidney donors, and it has been in place since 1988.

In the US, a bill is currently under discussion which proposes a federal tax credit for altruistic organ donors. This is a step in the right direction.

While donating a kidney to a stranger in Hong Kong may currently be difficult, the situation is gradually improving.

— Pratik Pawar, Future Perfect Fellow