Generative AI in South African Healthcare: navigating challenges and harnessing opportunities for industry and research

Abstract

This research seeks to evaluate how Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) can be used to disrupt and revolutionise the South African healthcare sector in addressing anomalies and utilising opportunities. This study employed a qualitative approach using secondary data analysis, drawing on policies formulated from the years 2015-2024, the study combines findings from published literature, institutional reports, and reputable databases to explore the potential opportunities, applications, and challenges of integrating generative artificial intelligence (AI) in South Africa's healthcare system. Thematic analysis and trend mapping were used to investigate GAI in diagnostics, drug discovery, personal medicine, data clerking, and medical training. The results make clear the ability of GAI to improve healthcare availability, quality, and organisation. Some critical opportunities, scientific developments, and technological advances present include better diagnostic tests, individualised therapy, rationalisation of work procedures, and an enhanced drug discovery process. However, the study brings out emerging problems like ethical issues, data sources and types, privacy issues, infrastructural constraints, and policy hindrances. These challenges call for multisectoral approaches that involve policymakers, healthcare players, researchers, tech firms, and the South African government in designing and implementing AI programs suitable for the South African setting. This research provides novel knowledge because these advancements are positioned in the South African context from a global perspective. This paper gives specific solutions on how the resulting ethical, technical, and infrastructural issues of GAI implementation may be mitigated. Lastly, this research is the roadmap for stakeholders to leverage the opportunity presented by GAI and place South Africa well ahead in the usage of AI for healthcare development.