A key focus during IMCAS World Congress 2023 is the role of AI & related technological advancements in aesthetics, topics which you can explore during sessions like S176 “To be or not to be in the Metaverse – AI & social ethics”. Dominique du Crest and Dr. Anthony Rossi, the coordinators of this session are also the co-chairs of the session partner, the Skin & Digital Summit. We’ve asked them to tells us more about the Skin & Digital Summit 2023.

[Subtitle]Dominique du Crest, you have launched the Skin & Digital Summit in 2021 – what have you been observing in the past 2 years? [/Subtitle]

"Like many areas of healthcare, tech innovation within aesthetics, plastic surgery, dermatology, and skincare has accelerated in the past 2 years – leading to an increasing digital influence for research and patients and presenting new models of care for the industry.

Not a single day passes without digital technology or artificial intelligence impacting patients, providers, and care givers. New consumer tech has enabled people to have access to virtual reality, machine learning, and computer vision systems that enhance people’s own capabilities and experiences. This has presented some challenges, to find meaningful digital usages within the dermatology and aesthetics industries. But leading the show, the skincare world is beginning to find endless beauty tech uses for their products and services.

However, the use of new technology has a potential drawback due to inconsistent digital access and presents a dilemma of digital divide. This is a demographic and regional gap that demonstrates the division for areas of the population who have access to modern information and communications technology, and those that do not or who have restricted access. The digital divide typically exists between urban areas and rural areas, between the educated and the uneducated, and among differing socioeconomic groups. On a global scale, it is observed between developed and developing countries. This presents a complex situation within modern dermatology and skin aesthetics, with questions of where new tech fits in the skincare world and what is the best way to reach or treat consumers."

[Subtitle]What have you achieved since the launch of the Skin & Digital Summit? [/Subtitle]

"Day by day the Skin & Digital Summit is building momentum in the global « Skin & Digital » conversation. At present, there is no other active forum to capture such discussion and what it means to patients and consumers.

We have already explored a broad range of relevant tech topics surrounding: The impact of digital technology for dermatologists (such as sensors, AI in skin cancer, …); Digital health and social media; Innovation & the 21st century consumer/patient; Digitizing skin cancer research; The metaverse and the dermoverse; AI and human values; The Digital divide; TikTok influence; Misinformation and social media in dermatology, skincare, and aesthetics; The consumerisation of aesthetics; AI and access to dermatology care; and the Smart bathroom.

Some further milestones of the summit include an audience of 2,700+ live and replay viewers (73% MDs) from more than 60 countries, more than thirty speakers coming from seventeen different countries, and eleven start-up collaborations to pitch the latest, cutting-edge tech."

[Subtitle]Doctor Rossi, you will be co-chairing the next Skin & Digital Summit on January 28th, 2023, during IMCAS World Congress can you tell us what is planned for this session? [/Subtitle]

"Our summit during IMCAS World Congress will focus on advances that have occurred in the Metaverse and what implications these will have for the fields of dermatology and plastic surgery. We have great speakers, including Dr Ahmed Sadek focusing on the current state of augmented intelligence in cosmetic dermatology as well as Dr Diala Haykal discussing the ethical implications. We will then have an open discussion regarding the future and potential of AI, VR, and the metaverse.

We are seeing more accessibility to the metaverse, both through VR and wearable technology. The aesthetics field is becoming more attune to the metaverse and its applications. This is both driven on the patient end as well as the provider. From virtual consultations to augmented reality and facial morphing, the interplay between reality and the metaverse is expanding.

In healthcare we may see the advent of virtual training of physicians using wearable technology and VR. Will this augment training or detract from real patient experience?

Blockchain technology could be revolutionary in providing encrypted medical information that is able to be distributed among multiple healthcare providers, institutions, patients, and caregivers. This may shift medical information and the medical chart itself back into the hands of the patient, thereby empowering patients with their own medical information. Imagine a virtual metaverse of health where an avatar that is connected to wearable technology on the user is able to virtual visit different physicians to check in on their blood pressure, heart rate, or breathing function.

As with all new technology there are multiple ethical and legal concerns that arise. Who owns this data and at what cost do we use energy and resources to provide blockchain encryption? Privacy issues will arise as well in the metaverse, and third party use of personal information for data mining may be robust."

[Subtitle]What are your plans for 2023? [/Subtitle]

"The Skin & Digital Summit is set to keep on growing. Thanks to our scientific partners, next year we are planning at least 6 different Summits with an international presence covering Europe, the USA, Brazil, and Spain. Asia is also a must for us, and we hope to share on our upcoming dates in the next few months.

Unique content is a pillar of the Skin & Digital Summit. Digital advances to improve access within aesthetic and dermatology care, and addressing skin-related misinformation, will be the corner stone of each event. The agenda may vary by venue, but the events will include themes such as:

• Blockchain and the impact of NFTs on dermatology, aesthetics, and skincare
• The digital divide
• The place of Metaverse / Dermoverse, NFT, NFTs & social media for the skin business
• Technology and dermatologic health / aesthetic dermatology disparities around the Globe
• Technology and skin genetics
• E-commerce, social commerce and e-pharmacy, telemedicine, teledermatology
• Human sciences & digital technology
• AI advances for mainstream skin conditions
• Machine learning and rare skin conditions or under-specification
• Digitizing research: clinical digital endpoints, recruitment via social media, and remote data analyses
• Digital therapeutics, sensors, wearable and flexible electronics, …
• Smart objects blending into consumer lives
• Beauty tech
• Digital technology and climate changes
• Big data and dermatology

…. and much more!"

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