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Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin are conducting studies to determine how artificial intelligence can be used to improve health care.

Researchers said medical professionals could use health AI to assist in diagnosing conditions and coming up with treatment options.

Matt Kammer-Kerwick, director of the Bureau of Business Research in the IC² Institute at the University of Texas at Austin, said the technology could be especially helpful for residents in rural areas and those who rely on safety net programs.

"These are technologies that do allow for specialized decision support functions to be provided by technology as opposed to having to have a patient travel from a rural area to a bigger hospital in a major city," Kammer-Kerwick explained. "There is this increased access to different information."

He said health AI could also be used to address high rates of chronic disease and poor health literacy in rural communities. More than 200 medical professionals were contacted as part of the study to determine their willingness to use AI. Kammer-Kerwick noted many are cautiously optimistic about the possibilities.

"There’s some anxiety about the readiness of providers to use these tools," Kammer-Kerwick acknowledged. "There’s lots of conversation about the data that are used to train these models and biases in these data and how accurate the answers might be. Those concerns are accompanied by concerns about whether humans are going to be taken out of the loop."

Among respondents, 45 percent said they believe their patients would be responsive to AI tools being used in their care. Researchers said as the technology moves forward, it is important to keep human relationships and patient well-being at the forefront.