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I keep seeing this template response/attitude but I think it’s generally flawed. Here’s why.

You judge a prototype / instance of a technological field that’s otherwise in full swing, cranking on releasing next version long before you see the current one

You assume this will be isolated from the rest of advancements, but in reality once you have the mechanics to automate imagery and drilling 100x more technologies can be composed. Memory in particular is something tech has always surpassed humans.

The combination of these two, particularly in the context of AI is much faster than most people can perceive.

So saying yes but x, is irrelevant for the most part.



I’m optimistic about AI but if you know anything about dental procedures and then look at what this does, it’s the simplest and done in extremely filtered patients. While in 100 years there will be a robot that can do most cases but it is very justified to write this off in the near future and in the current form.


A reasonable take, but one that I don't think lessens my point.

I can't speak to the other responses from which you've identified this yes-but-x template, and can speak really only from the 2 bits of knowledge I have: IT/infrastructure stuff is my primary knowledge, and my SO's dental training and practice, which is not "my" knowledge, but from this I have access to more knowledge than would the average person.

Now, the IT stuff. Automation has come a long way and quickly, but if I break something, it's just a service. Worst case scenario a customer can't buy something, or maybe a couple thousand customers can't. Big deal, one a minute, etc. I don't need to preach on this, I'm sure.

The medical field is significantly slower to adopt new practices, with the reasoning that their customers' custom is not an item in a cart, it's their health or life. New technology comes in slowly, with trials for wide population application taking decades in some cases. The stakes are so much higher that safety demands caution.

This does not of course mean never. I've said this in another reply also, but I think tooling like this augments service delivery at the very least (provided it meets safety standards) and could be the start of a boom of up-tooling practitioners. And I will be surprised if I see one in the flesh before 2050.




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