In 1995, Bill Gates appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman to explain this strange new thing called …. THE INTERNET.
Most people did not understand. Letterman joked, “Why would I want to read baseball scores on a computer when I have the radio?”
Fast-forward 20 years, most people cannot function in their daily lives without the internet. Most people do not even own a stand-alone radio. We stream our music and look up our baseball scores online.
When society questions Artificial Intelligence (AI) integrations within technology and stand-alone applications: There is some concern in how it will impact life and hesitation for how this technology will impact the future. Much like in 1995.
However, the user adapter rate may be faster, as most people use it today without even knowing it.
Chat GPT was introduced in November 2022 and had 100 million users within months. However, Artificial Intelligence has operated behind the scenes for almost an entire generation. AI applications are rapidly expanding, driving innovation and efficiency across nearly every industry. But what does this mean in healthcare? There is uncertainty that exists in the speculation behind what the development of AI will do to future generations – not only in healthcare but in the overall job market.
When we asked Chat GPT to provide a list of where AI has existed in the last decade in our daily lives. The response was:
“AI has become such a seamless part of daily life that sometimes we do not even realize it is there, quietly working behind the scenes or greeting us front and center. To recognize it, you would just need to look for tools and services that adapt, personalize, or automate tasks in smart ways.”
1. Smartphones & Devices
- Voice Assistants: Siri, Google Assistant, Alexa use AI for voice recognition and natural language processing.
- Camera Enhancements: AI improves photo quality, detects scenes, and applies filters.
- Predictive Text & Autocorrect: AI helps suggest words and correct typos as you type.
2. Online Services & Social Media
- Content Recommendations: TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Netflix use AI to suggest videos and posts based on your behavior.
- Spam Filters: Email services use AI to detect and filter out spam or phishing attempts.
- Ad Targeting: AI analyzes your interests and behavior to show you personalized ads.
3. Shopping & E-commerce
- Product Recommendations: Amazon and other retailers use AI to suggest items you might like.
- Chatbots: Many websites use AI-powered bots to answer customer questions instantly.
- Fraud Detection: AI monitors for unusual activity in online transactions.
4. Transportation
- Navigation Apps: Google Maps and Waze use AI to predict traffic and suggest the fastest routes.
- Ride-Sharing: Uber and Lyft use AI for pricing, matching drivers with riders, and route optimization.
- Driver Assistance: Cars with features like lane assist, adaptive cruise control, or self-parking use AI.
5. Home & Lifestyle
- Smart Home Devices: Thermostats (like Nest), lights, and security systems use AI to learn your habits and optimize settings.
- Streaming Services: AI curates playlists and recommends music or shows.
- Fitness Apps: AI tracks workouts, suggests routines, and even monitors health metrics.
6. Work & Productivity
- Email Sorting & Prioritization: AI helps organize your inbox.
- Meeting Scheduling: Tools like Microsoft Outlook use AI to suggest meeting times.
- Document Editing: Grammarly and Microsoft Editor use AI to improve grammar and style.
- Smart recommendations: Streaming services suggesting your next favorite show, or online stores recommending products you did not know you needed—those are powered by AI analyzing your behavior and preferences.
- Virtual assistants: Siri, Alexa, and even yours truly—AI companions that help set reminders, answer questions, and control smart devices.
- Social media feeds: The content you see, from reels to ads, is curated by AI analyzing what captures your attention.
- Navigation apps: Traffic predictions and route optimization in Google Maps or Waze rely on machine learning to estimate the best path in real time.
- Email filters and autocorrect: Spam filters, smart replies, and even that little red underline catching your typos are AI tools keeping things tidy.
- Healthcare and fitness apps: Whether it is a smartwatch tracking your sleep or an app analyzing symptoms, AI is helping guide healthier habits.”
All of these AI integrations existed long before Chat GPT was trending as a hot topic.
AI integrated into Shopping is not a recent development, Amazon has been using AI since the late 1990s to streamline personalized recommendations to consumers.
Making your house ‘smart’ was something that only the Jetsons dreamed of, until 2002 when Roomba was released, and NEST introduced the Learning Thermostat in 2011. Amazon Alexa and Echo launched in 2014, marked the first major move toward voice-controlled smart homes. Google Assistant released in 2016 followed with broad integrations for home automation, including security systems.
In 2006, Companies such as Twitter, Facebook, and Netflix started utilizing AI as a part of their marketing campaigns and user experience algorithms which is the reason you started to see all the advertisements tailored directly towards you. In 2007, IBM’s Watson demonstrated advanced natural language processing by winning Jeopardy.
Target, from a consumer behavior standpoint, integrated AI into the customer service experience in 2010, to optimize the shopper's experience.
Microsoft launched the XBOX 360 Kinect in 2010, the first gaming system of its kind. This was the first gaming hardware that tracked the gamer’s body movements to translate into gaming directions.
Then we all met our best friend Siri in 2011. Well, at least the Apple users did.
While Waymo and Gemini/Google Maps partnership are more recent technological developments. Think about global mapping and GPS products. AI was integrated into google maps in 2017 to improve real time traffic updates and route optimization. Remember the Portable GPS systems? Tom-Tom was at the forefront of this technology in 2004 when it released satellite navigation. Coming back to the market in 2025, Microsoft and Tom-Tom are developing an ‘inspiring new in car experience, driven by generative AI.” (4)
How about in healthcare?
The National Institute of Health (NIH) traces AI in healthcare back to the 1950s. However, the models had numerous limitations that prevented widespread utilization in healthcare. (1)
In the early 2010s, many of these limitations were overcome by increased computing power and the advent of deep learning (DL). AI underwent a transition in the 2010s in healthcare, moving from rule-based to data driven methodologies. AI advances can be seen in Radiology and Electronic Health Records (EHR); both of which have revolutionized the healthcare setting.
The 2010’s saw significant strides in healthcare from predictive analysis and from AI clinical trials in drug research.
Think about wearable devices tracking your health. Wearables can be traced back to 1961 when the first wearable computer was introduced. However, most will identify with the Fitbit (2000s) to the Apple Watch (2015) to Ouroa (2020s). The original FITBIT and the day of the passive tracker are over. Metrics are being used in real time for predictive analysis to enhance your health and wellbeing, as well as troubleshoot future events. (3)
In 2013, Dr. Robby Sikka created SMART (Sports Medicine Analytics Research Team) which used medical insight and data for predictive analysis on sports injuries. What is the likelihood of this player being injured based on their physical health – treatment and when they should return to the court. Dr. Sikka started in the NBA and has expanded into Tennis. He focuses on real-time health data supported by technology that is driven by AI. Dr. Sikka uses AI for risk assessment in healthcare. His programs are targeted towards the sports industry, but with his analytical background and being a Board-Certified Anesthesiologist. At Rise Health National, Dr. Sikka spoke about these data metrics being utilized in Orthopedics and Medicare based programs. Can we utilize this predicative analysis to help track the aging population and the comorbidities tied into falling down? AI allows us to work smarter.
This is our past and will continue to evolve into our future. In 2024, Robert Pearl in his book “ChatGPT, MD” wrote “We stand on the brink of a new era in healthcare……. Welcome to a world of unimaginable possibilities”.
1 Wani SUD, Khan NA, Thakur G, Gautam SP, Ali M, Alam P, Alshehri S, Ghoneim MM, Shakeel F. Utilization of Artificial Intelligence in Disease Prevention: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Implications for the Healthcare Workforce. Healthcare (Basel). 2022 Mar 24;10(4):608. doi: 10.3390/healthcare10040608. PMID: 35455786; PMCID: PMC902683
2 https://www.tableau.com/data-insights/ai/history
3 The History of Wearable Technology: From Past to Present
4 TomTom brings AI-powered, talking cars to life with Azure | Microsoft Customer Stories
About NAIRO
NAIRO is an association of URAC-accredited IROs collaborating on issues facing the rapidly changing workers’ compensation and healthcare arena. NAIRO leadership and its member-driven committees track legislative and regulatory developments at the federal and state level, advances in accreditation standards, and emerging themes such as cybersecurity, trust, compliance, and more.
About the NAIRO Annual Conference
Each year, NAIRO and its member companies stage an annual conference discussing the latest developments and trends in independent medical review. The conference delivers in-depth educational content, along with networking opportunities to meet and exchange ideas with others in the industry.
This year the conference will be at the Rosen Shingle Creek Orlando in Florida, February 17 - 19, 2026.
The theme for the three-day event is “Tides of Change - Shaping the Review Industry”.
Registration is open! We thank you for your interest and look forward to seeing you at the NAIRO Conference in February 2026!