Technology and hope: AI potential in healthcare

In contemporary society, technology—and especially Artificial Intelligence (AI)—is often perceived as a solution to uncertainty and human limitations. This study examines TOMMI, a Virtual Reality (VR) system enhanced by AI, designed to support pediatric patients during stressful medical procedures. Beyond clinical efficacy, TOMMI mediates children’s emotional and imaginative experiences, providing immersive, adaptive environments that respond to their needs. AI here does not replace human care but reshapes the sociocultural context of healing, fostering individualized engagement and co-participation in care processes.

Through qualitative interviews with the project’s founder and medical staff, the study highlights how AI-mediated VR shifts the focus from treating symptoms to recognizing the child as an active participant in their own experience. This reflects broader sociological questions about the interplay between technology, subjectivity, and social interaction: AI becomes a tool that extends relational and affective dimensions of care rather than a mere technical instrument.

However, such interventions raise significant ethical and social concerns. Data privacy, unequal access to technology, and systemic complexity challenge equitable implementation. Moreover, reliance on AI risks reinforcing social disparities if only resource-rich settings can deploy these tools effectively.

From a sociological perspective, recommendations for AI-based care systems include: (i) designing interventions that support patient agency and emotional engagement; (ii) integrating clinical, social, and cultural data; (iii) ensuring equitable access to reduce disparities; and (iv) continuous evaluation of outcomes, including ethical and psychosocial impacts.

TOMMI exemplifies a model in which AI mediates not only clinical outcomes but also the social and emotional dimensions of care, highlighting the potential for technology to foster more humane, participatory, and context-sensitive healthcare. Ongoing research must examine long-term effects, ethical challenges, and the social conditions under which AI can genuinely enhance the human experience of care.