Two years after the launch of ChatGPT, Generative AI has become the most talked about and disruptive technology in business.
Adaption and early experimentation have been widespread. But to understand more clearly what role Gen AI – and AI more broadly – is playing inside large enterprises, I began a series of conversations with CIOs and CTOs at the world’s leading companies. My goal is to understand their respective AI journeys and share their views on the specific value the technology will bring to their organizations.
My second interview features insights from my conversation with Medtronic SVP and CIO, Rashmi Kumar.
When you think about deploying AI, what problem are you trying to solve for Medtronic?
Our primary focus is to empower our teams to work more productively and efficiently in their daily tasks. To achieve this, we are committed to democratizing access to AI tools and ensuring that our team members understand how these tools can specifically enhance workplace effectiveness. A key area of focus is the automation of repetitive tasks to free up time for more strategic work.
Secondly, in this age of digitalization and automation, we are confronted with what I refer to as “digital exhaust”—the vast volumes of structured and unstructured data that current systems struggle to extract meaningful insights from. Our challenge is to leverage AI-driven tools to tap into this data, enabling us to make more informed, data-driven decisions.
What are some of these “repetitive tasks” that you think AI tools can address?
We are applying AI tools in contract management and customer service. These tools are being used to summarize key ideas, extract important clauses or bits of information, redline items, suggest improvements and identify changes that should be considered.
In what other areas are you using AI tools?
Artificial intelligence can help improve the accuracy of information that clinicians receive so they can better prioritize their time, empowering them to focus on patient care. Data from two studies presented at the Heart Rhythm Society in 2021 showed that AccuRhythm™ AI algorithms improved the accuracy of alerts generated by our LINQ II™ insertable cardiac monitors (ICM) by addressing the two most common ICM false alerts — atrial fibrillation (AF), an irregular or rapid rhythm in the upper chambers of the heart; and asystole, a long pause between heartbeats.
The supply chain is another area where we are deploying AI tools. We have created machine learning models that identify and quantify issues before shipment, reduce over-shipment and waste, and help us enhance our overall operations.
What specific uses cases have you had for Gen AI?
Our Gen AI use cases are mostly geared towards productivity. For example, we are executing use cases for customer care, contracts management, shipment tracking, and marketing. These are very standard use cases across the industry.
But one area that is somewhat unique is our soon-to-be deployed complaints handling system. As a highly regulated provider of medical technologies, we have a legal obligation to process complaints in a particular way. Our customer complaint teams came to us to co-design an AI-powered, bottoms-up tool that reduces workload and improves efficiency.
In what areas would you like to deploy AI or Gen AI in the coming years?
As we move towards greater automation in healthcare, AI is poised to continue advancing the accuracy and speed of diagnostic tools. Machine learning algorithms, particularly in the analysis of medical imaging, can now detect anomalies with high precision, identifying conditions that may be missed by humans.
By using AI to analyze images gathered during a scan, physicians can identify conditions more quickly, promoting early intervention. We incorporate AI and image analysis in the GI Genius™ intelligent endoscopy module, the first computer-aided detection system to use AI to identify pre-cancerous and cancerous colorectal polyps during a colonoscopy. The system works by scanning every visual frame of the procedure in real time and alerting physicians to the presence of lesions — including small, flat polyps that can easily go undetected by the human eye. By detecting and removing these polyps, clinicians reduce the odds of patients developing colorectal cancer.
We are also heavily invested in Robotic-assisted surgery (RAS). AI-powered robotic surgery platforms, such as the Medtronic HugoTM RAS System, provide not only enhanced precision but also allow for minimally invasive procedures and can assist surgeons with real-time decision-making.
Looking ahead, Artificial Intelligence is a powerful tool that can enhance the speed and effectiveness of global health systems. Technological advancements are continually reshaping healthcare delivery, and care providers must pursue new training and educational opportunities to keep pace with this rapidly evolving landscape. AI plays a key role in supporting these efforts by transforming the capture, storage, and analysis of surgical video.
When thinking about the R&D investment required to create usable AI tools, how does Medtronic strike a balance between making sufficient internal investments versus asking large technology companies to create the tools for you?
We are putting our R&D dollars to work by building out our internal AI capabilities. In addition to the investments, we’ve made in Robotic-assisted surgery (RAS), we are also committing resources to AI-enabled solutions in the spine surgery space. Currently, the practice in these surgeries involves sending all the materials a surgical team might need in a single package, which is imprecise and inefficient. The AI tools we are investing in will be able to more reliably predict the specific components needed for each surgery.
While we are committed to making these types of investments, we recognize that we cannot do everything ourselves. We need to tap into the platforms and expertise that technology companies can provide, as demonstrated by our recently announced collaboration between Tempus and Medtronic Structural Heart. Medtronic’s collaboration with health technology company Tempus seeks to identify causes for undertreatment of minority patients with heart valve disease who may benefit from minimally invasive therapies.
To successfully partner with us, technology companies must have a clear understanding of our patient community. Fortunately, there are already large tech companies that have invested considerable time and effort in developing some of the capabilities we need, these companies have the resources and connections to help us advance our objectives.
What partnerships are you pursuing with AI startups?
We are working with several AI startups. In our service and repair department, we are considering Neuron7.AI, which brings the power of neutral networks to complex service environments. We have also entered into a strategic partnership agreement with CathWorks, a privately held company headquartered in Kefar Sava, Israel, which aims to transform how coronary artery disease (CAD) is diagnosed and treated.
Additionally, we are looking for future ‘tuck-in partners’—startups that not only design the tools we need but also invest in the solutions themselves and become part of the venture.
How disruptive is AI to Medtronic’s operations?
The biggest opportunity we have is ushering in a mindset shift, helping people truly understand that AI is the future. It provides us with a chance to redefine our roles by learning new skills and training ourselves in different ways.
We need people to understand the digital capabilities available and explore how we can better connect these new tools with our desire to change how decisions are made. We aim to take a more data-driven approach to drive adoption across our value chain.
Those who embrace this shift will be more successful, as they will develop the skill set to understand more about the end-to-end process and define what excellence looks like.
How is this need for a “mind shift” being promoted internally at Medtronic?
We have unveiled a concept called Hyper-automation heroes, which takes a closer look at AI use cases, the projects being deployed, and how our employees are applying newly learned knowledge in their day-to-day activities. Through this initiative, we are already seeing a mindset shift underway. During the Hyper-automation office hours we host, a broader set of employees are excited about the potential for AI tools to enhance their work. At these meetings, employees are asking interesting questions and, in doing so, are demonstrating their strong understanding of emerging issues in the AI space.
How might AI tools disrupt our society or economy more broadly?
I am reminded of the old Silicon Valley saying, “We overestimate in the short-term, and underestimate in the long-term.” AI is one technology where this is happening.
In the longer term, AI will accelerate much faster than the pace we are seeing right now, and the work as we define it today will be very different for many of us, as will the products.
The type of companies which will become larger will depend on how they bring in automation capabilities. There will be huge shift in how people live their lives, but also what kind of work we perform when we get there.
The healthcare sector will continue to be a little unique, but the companies which can differentiate through delivering a friction-free customer experience will succeed more than traditional ones. I believe the governance model across societies and companies will undergo a profound transformation, as power shifts to those who can leverage technology to drive effective decision-making.
