this post was submitted on 16 Feb 2024
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As a medical doctor I extensively use digital voice recorders to document my work. My secretary does the transcription. As a cost saving measure the process is soon intended to be replaced by AI-powered transcription, trained on each doctor's voice. As I understand it the model created is not being stored locally and I have no control over it what so ever.

I see many dangers as the data model is trained on biometric data and possibly could be used to recreate my voice. Of course I understand that there probably are other recordings on the Internet of me, enough to recreate my voice, but that's beside the point. Also the question is about educating them, not a legal one.

How do I present my case? I'm not willing to use a non local AI transcribing my voice. I don't want to be percieved as a paranoid nut case. Preferravly I want my bosses and collegues to understand the privacy concerns and dangers of using a "cloud sollution". Unfortunately thay are totally ignorant to the field of technology and the explanation/examples need to translate to the lay person.

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Shouldn't that be a HIPAA violation? Like you can't in good conscious guarantee that the patient data isn't being used for anything but the healthcare.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

My question is not a legal one. There probably are legal obstacles for my hospital in this case but HIPAA is not applicable in my country.

I'd primarily like to get your opinions of how to effectively present my case for my bosses against using a non local model for this.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago

Look to your local health privacy laws. Most countries have that tightly controlled in such a way that this use of AI is illegal.

Your question is not a legal one, but a legal argument can be a very persuasive one.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

It is until they prove it isn't, which they might not be able to do. Many trusted 23andme only to see private data stolen. Make the company prove the security in place and the methods ensuring privacy, because you'll essentially be liable for any failures of the system from a lack of due diligence.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (3 children)

Voice recognition dictation has been used in the medical field for over a decade, probably even longer. My regional health system of multiple hospitals and clinics has been using an electronic based, like Dragon dictation, solution since at least 2012. Unfortunately in this case op is being overly paranoid and behind the times. I'm all for privacy but the HIPAA implications have already been well sorted out. They need to either learn to type faster or use the system provided that will increase their productivity and save the health system an fte that used to be used on their transcriptionist which can not be used more directly to care for patients.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

"Overly paranoid", with the practically-daily breaches of cloud-based systems today?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

It is true that Dragon and similar apps have been used for years. But I don't think it's fair to say OP is being paranoid and a luddite. Data breaches in the cloud are a weekly occurrence, and OP wanting to protect their voice / biometrics is not foolish it's smarter than the average bear. You can change a compromised password. You can't change your biometrics or voice.

Also, those products were used on local networks for many years before they entered the cloud. They gradually reduce our privacy over time, getting people numb to it.