iPods, EarPods, AirPods, and…CarePods. Yes, you read that right…CarePods are on the way. You might be wondering, what exactly are CarePods? The company behind this initiative, Forward Health, describes them as “a self-contained, AI powered doctor’s office.” For $99 per month, users (what used to be known as patients) can have on-demand access to the CarePod, which can test for a variety of health statuses and disease conditions…blood, heart, lungs, kidneys, thyroid, infectious diseases (e.g., COVID-19, HIV), weight management, diabetes…and apparently even STDs (details not provided)! 

According to Adrian Aoun, the company’s CEO, “Basically, what I’m doing is slowly migrating every single thing from a doctor and nurse to hardware and software…We don’t even believe a doctor’s office should exist. We think it’s a thing of the past” (techcrunch.com/2023/11/15/forward-health-carepod-ai-doctor).

Well folks, there you have it. As the Swedish philosopher Nick Bostrom said, “Artificial intelligence is the last invention that humanity will ever need to make.” How will all of this look? Even further, how will it be regulated? What aspects of eye care might be incorporated? It’s difficult to imagine. 

In 2023, however, it became readily apparent that artificial intelligence (AI) is here, and it is here to stay in a very big way. Although we typically choose a more specific “contact lens event” of the year, there is no doubt that 2023 is the year of AI. While there were many other significant considerations and events in 2023, AI will have massive impacts on our lives, in addition to the way that we practice medicine, provide eye care, and prescribe contact lenses.

We at Contact Lens Spectrum are quite enthusiastic for the 2024 calendar year, and wish to thank all our readers, sponsors, patients, and colleagues as we celebrate this new year! And, please know that AI did not write this editorial. CLS