In the dynamic realm where technology meets humanity, digital humans emerge as catalysts for a healthier future. With endless opportunities for innovation and advancement, these AI-driven entities are reshaping education, research and training in the life sciences industry.
What are digital humans?
Also known as digital twins or synthetic clones, digital humans blend cutting-edge innovation with human-like charm, surpassing traditional avatars or chatbots by emulating human behavior, expressions and emotions. Their presence offers transformative benefits across various domains, creating a more natural and engaging interaction experience.
What are the advantages of using Digital Humans?
Digital humans offer several advantages for educating stakeholders in life sciences and healthcare, revolutionizing the way knowledge is imparted and absorbed:
- Cost and Efficiency: Digital humans offer a cost-effective and swift alternative to traditional educational content creation.
- Enhanced Learning Experience: With the right persona, voice and tone, their interactive nature fosters engagement and empathy, facilitating real-world immersive learning experiences. Since they are given a personality, they become someone humans can talk with, not talk to.
- Safe Simulation: Digital humans enable safe exploration of complex medical scenarios, allowing HCPs to interact with digital patients and viceversa.
- Access to Real-World Data: Integrating real-world data into digital characters enriches educational content, providing patients, HCPs and caregivers with insights applicable to real-life situations. This enhances the relevance and practicality of the educational experience.
- Customization and Accessibility: Digital twins can be tailored to suit diverse learning styles and paces, offering personalized resources for patients, caregivers and HCPs.
What are the challenges and considerations?
Despite their potential benefits, the integration of digital humans into educational settings also presents challenges and risks that must be addressed:
- Transparency and Rights: While digital humans can be indistinguishable from videos of real humans, it’s important to be completely transparent that these are digitally generated, to avoid any misconceptions or ethical concerns. You also need to remember that when creating digital clones of individuals, securing the necessary rights for likeness and voice usage is imperative to avoid legal complications.
- Acceptance and Engagement: Introducing a novel technology like digital humans may initially face resistance or skepticism from some users. However, early research by EVERSANA INTOUCH indicates promising levels of engagement among participants.
- Privacy and Data Ownership: Digital twins rely on data from real people and communities, data privacy, security, and ownership rights are important considerations to make before utilizing these systems.
- Over-Reliance on Simulation: While digital twins offer valuable insights, they should complement rather than replace real-world experimentation to ensure the validity and reliability of research outcomes.
- AI Model Accuracy and Complexity: The effectiveness of a digital twin hinges on the accuracy and completeness of the underlying data and AI models. Complex systems might be difficult to model realistically.
- Limited Physical Validation: There may be limitations in validating certain aspects or behaviors in the virtual environment, necessitating additional experimentation in some cases.
As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, digital humans emerge as a frontier of innovation in life sciences. However, it’s crucial not to rush into this realm without the right expertise and support. Partnering with experienced collaborators who understand the rapid pace of technological advancements is paramount.
At EVERSANA INTOUCH, we understand the ever-changing landscape of technology and its implications within the pharmaceutical industry. With our guidance, organizations can navigate this transformative journey while adhering to government and regulatory frameworks. Contact us today to harness the power of digital innovation responsibly and effectively, ensuring a brighter future for life sciences.