A recent study showed AI can analyze one's speech patterns to predict the development of Alzheimer's disease. In the near future, the same technology could be deployed to determine the mental fitness of CEOs, according to an Aug. 21 report from The Wall Street Journal.
The study, published June 25 in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia, showed the tool could predict Alzheimer's disease with about 80% accuracy, six years before it is diagnosable, according to the article.
The tool relies on responses from an oral exam. Yannis Paschalidis, PhD, lead researcher and professor of engineering at Boston University, told the Journal that the "risk of a false positive is outweighed by the potential harm of cognitive decline going undetected."
Using AI to determine mental fitness in a leadership role could be harmful if the tool inaccurately detects cognitive decline when someone loses their train of thought or blanks on a name, the Journal said.
It could be beneficial for executives negotiating their next contracts to get in writing limits on their companies' use of AI health models, one CEO, Steven Blue, added.