2024: The Year in AI – How Large Language Models Have Changed Everything (Whether You Know It or Not, or Admit It or Not). Real Practical Applications of AI in Consumer Health
By Noel J. Guillama-Alvarez
LinkedIn Profile
While AI felt omnipresent in 2023 following the public launch of ChatGPT on November 30, 2022, 2024 truly marked its explosion into our daily lives. This wasn’t just about flashy product launches or AI-powered gadgets. It was about how these technologies began to fundamentally alter the way we work, create, and interact with the world.
This blog post explores the key highlights of this transformative year, with a focus on the major players: OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, Apple’s initiatives, and Meta’s efforts to catch up.
ChatGPT: Dominating the AI Conversation
ChatGPT remained the undisputed leader of conversational AI in 2024. OpenAI continued to push the boundaries with multiple updates that significantly enhanced its capabilities.
The introduction of GPT-4 marked a major leap, with the ability to handle text, images, audio, and video. The release of the GPT-4o model just a few days ago further refined its reasoning abilities, delivering sharper, more insightful answers. ChatGPT’s new Advanced Voice Mode introduced lifelike voices for more dynamic interaction.
Sora, OpenAI’s text-to-video model, became more accessible, providing filmmakers and marketers with unprecedented creative tools. The Canvas Mode allowed for real-time collaboration between users and the AI, while Projects helped to organize conversations and files efficiently.
OpenAI’s “12 Days of OpenAI” demonstrated the company’s commitment to continuous improvement, showcasing new features like WhatsApp integration, a new ChatGPT Pro tier, and a sneak peek at upcoming models.
Google Gemini: A New Challenger Emerges
Google’s Gemini entered the scene with a splash, rebranding Bard and integrating AI across its entire ecosystem.
The Gemini app for Android and the Gemini Advanced subscription tier directly competed with ChatGPT. Gemini’s AI seamlessly integrated into Google Home devices, replacing Google Assistant and extending its reach. Gemini Live brought real-time voice conversations to the forefront, while custom chatbots, called Gems, offered personalized AI experiences. The release of Gemini 2.0 in December marked a significant milestone, boasting improved responses, photo analysis, and exclusive features for Pixel phones.
Personal Note: I have both ChatGPT and Gemini on my desktop and find it fascinating how they respond differently to questions. While I haven’t yet picked a clear favorite, my focus remains narrow—mainly on healthcare and medicine.
Apple Intelligence: Privacy-Centric AI
Apple Intelligence made its debut at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in the summer of 2024. Though still in its early stages, Apple Intelligence leveraged existing AI models—particularly ChatGPT—to enhance Siri’s capabilities, offering more insightful responses.
Privacy was a key focus, with Apple emphasizing local processing and its secure Private Cloud Compute servers, aiming to provide faster and more private AI experiences. Features like Image Playground and Genmoji showcased Apple’s potential in creative applications.
Meta’s AI: Pushing Social Media Boundaries
Meta integrated Meta AI into its social media platforms, enhancing its capabilities and introducing celebrity voice options. The company also committed to AI-powered hardware, announcing Meta AI-powered smart glasses and the Orion augmented reality glasses prototype.
The Rise and Fall of AI Hardware
Devices like the Rabbit R1, Humane AI Pin, and Plaud NotePin generated initial excitement but ultimately proved limited in impact. This highlighted the challenges of bringing niche AI hardware to market.
The Future of AI
2024 demonstrated that AI has shifted from a nascent technology to an integral part of our digital lives. ChatGPT, Gemini, and Apple Intelligence—along with numerous other players—showcased AI’s immense potential to revolutionize how we work, create, and interact with the world.
While challenges and ethical considerations remain, the future of AI promises even greater advancements. The key to success will be harnessing AI’s power responsibly, ensuring these technologies benefit humanity while mitigating potential risks.
AI in Healthcare
AI’s impact in healthcare is already being felt. Recent research, such as studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, has shown that ChatGPT can pass medical tests and board exams—the same ones that doctors must take. In limited trials, ChatGPT’s chatbot responses were as good as, or even better than, those of qualified physicians. However, newer studies have found that AI’s reliability decreases when dealing with more complex or human-centered issues, with AI providing about 80% of what a trained doctor might say or do.
From as early as December 2022, I heard from physician colleagues who were exploring ChatGPT. I’m sure some of them have incorporated it into their practices—perhaps as they once consulted medical books or online journals. The concern remains: even with the limited time a physician spends with a patient (typically 7-10 minutes), they make crucial decisions based on the information they have. The question is: Do they have all the information available about their patient? Most of the time, the answer is no. Unfortunately, AI can’t fix that.
As we’ve noted in a previous blog, doctors face significant risks in using AI today—particularly in terms of time versus cost, reputation, and legal risks. The legal risks won’t be solved quickly or easily.
However, we remain committed to the idea that AI, especially in the form of a Small Language Model (SLM) trained exclusively for health and wellness, can provide valuable insights. By controlling their own patient data, consumers will be empowered to make better decisions and interact more effectively with their healthcare providers. The data, research, and findings will remain secure and under the consumer’s control. And this is something we can achieve with AI today!
About HealthScoreAI ™
Healthcare is at a tipping point, and HealthScoreAI is positioning to revolutionize the industry by giving consumers control over their health data and unlocking its immense value. U.S. healthcare annual spending has exceeded $5 trillion with little improvement in outcomes. Despite advances, technology has failed to reduce costs or improve care. Meanwhile, 3,000 exabytes of consumer health data remain trapped in fragmented USA systems, leaving consumers and doctors without a complete picture of care.
HealthScoreAI seeks to provide a unique solution, acting as a data surrogate for consumers and offering an unbiased holistic view of their health. By monetizing de-identified data, HealthScoreAI seeks to share revenue with consumers, potentially creating a new $100 billion market opportunity. With near-universal EHR adoption in the USA, and advances in technology, now is the perfect time to capitalize on the data available, practical use of AI and the empowering of consumers, in particular the 13,000 tech savvy baby boomers turning 65 every single day and entering the Medicare system for the first time. Our team, with deep healthcare and tech expertise, holds U.S. patents and a proven track record of scaling companies and leading them to IPO.
Noel J. Guillama-Alvarez
+1-561-904-9477, Ext 355