Recognizing the Power and Prevalence of AI

Plamen Petrov (MEM '07) is the vice president of artificial intelligence and chief data officer at Anthem, a Fortune 30 company that operates under the Blue Cross Blue Shield brand. He's spent his career surrounded by data, and for decades he's been involved in designing and implementing artificial intelligence (AI) systems, hearing countless concerns about AI replacing humans in the workforce.  

Those concerns are warranted, but should not be feared, Petrov said. 

"I view it very much like automated elevators taking the place of elevator operators," Petrov said. "The same way we have fewer people collecting tolls on the highway and people cashing checks in banks, AI is a technology that will displace and remove certain jobs, and it will open up other jobs." 

Petrov witnessed the power of AI firsthand with the arrival of COVID-19. In the early months of the pandemic, people were scared to go to hospitals or medical facilities, yet unfortunately, people were still getting sick and needed to pay attention to their medical needs. In response, Petrov led Anthem's launch of Sydney Care, an app that uses AI technology to create personalized conversations with users. A user initiates a medical inquiry by submitting their symptoms or medical complaints and the AI-powered app engages the user in a personalized conversational session similar to a physician interviewing a patient. The app provides likely medical conditions that could be the cause for the patient’s symptoms, based on sophisticated AI models trained through machine learning on hundreds of millions of historical physician encounters over the past 20 years. The machine learning models take into consideration the person's medical history, age, gender, and their documented prior conditions.  

The app allows users to connect with physicians via text or video, and the AI interaction is also forwarded to a physician who can make additional diagnoses, prescribe medication, or refer the user to a lab in case more tests are needed, or to a specialist for further care.  

"This mixture of AI and remote-virtual human delivery of healthcare services in many cases plays a key role in saving lives," Petrov said. "We've seen the power of AI and the combination of AI and humans working closely together in healthcare be truly disruptive and transformational."

There is a level of mystique about AI that is exacerbated by how it is presented in film and literature, Petrov said, but it is important to remember that AI is only as powerful as its mathematical foundations. There are countless challenges to making an AI system work, from preparing and making data usable to making sure privacy and security safeguards are in place. 

To be capable and productive with this data collection, preparation, and analysis requires a unique mix of skills. The ideal background is one that integrates engineering, math, business, communication, design, and visualization. 

He built his skill set in Northwestern's Master of Engineering Management (MEM) program, where he strengthened his talents in marketing, finance, accounting, and negotiations. That training, combined with his PhD in Computer Science and with his background in technology, data, and analytics, prepared him for his current executive position.

"MEM is a very well-tuned program to grow engineers and make them both more meaningful in their daily activities and gives them the opportunity to grow on a managerial path," he said. "It was instrumental in my career path." 

Petrov has taught as an adjunct professor in MEM, and he is an active part of Northwestern Engineering's Center for Deep Learning (CDL). CDL assists companies looking to establish or improve access to AI, and Anthem is a founding member and is currently sponsoring several CDL projects. It is a way for the company to stay on the cutting-edge of the latest research related to AI while also contributing to developments in the industry.

As for those people worried about what AI will do to society in the future, Petrov points out it is already a part of society , even though many people may not realize it. Google Maps uses algorithms to learn how to get users from one location to another in the best way possible. Online check deposits with image and text recognition are built on analytics to transfer money from consumers’ smartphones to their bank accounts. Both are built on AI, he said. 

"AI is already so embedded in our daily lives that we're frequently using it without even recognizing it," Petrov said. "AI is progressively becoming more prevalent, working hand in hand as a tool with humans, physicians, and specialists to make our lives easier and more sophisticated."