ARTIFICIAL intelligence (AI) could play a “significant role” in easing pressure on the health service, according to the think tank The Health Foundation ("Third of people fear AI could lead to medics missing errors, poll suggests", The Herald, July 31). I think it more likely that the use of AI will completely overwhelm the NHS and bring it to a standstill.

These machines process enormous amounts of data, much of it suspect, looking for patterns that predicate predictions based on probability. You go for your biennial eye test, have a high-resolution retinal scan, and are told you are at risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.

This reminds me of the digital revolution in health care that started around the beginning of the millennium. The computer infiltrated the consultation room, like a nanny in a horror movie taking up residence in the family home to care for the children, apparently all sweetness and light, but in reality a deeply malignant emissary of the Devil. The computer highlighted mildly aberrant laboratory results. At the same time, Big Pharma sensed the enormous commercial opportunity of treating “pre-” conditions.

If you put the entire population on a spectrum of ill health, if everybody is on the borderline of something, then you effectively kill off the art of diagnosis, and the waiting lists for access to health care can do nothing other than sky-rocket.

Dr Hamish Maclaren, Thornhill.

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Bring back the death penalty

THE tragic events in Southport, involving the murder of several very innocent, very young children, and the life-threatening injuring of many other children and a couple of adults ("Families pay tribute as third victim dies after horror knife attack at holiday club", The Herald, July 31) are yet further examples of deliberate, horrific, murderous acts committed against innocent members of our society.

Add this most recent event to the murders in the not-too-distant past of at least two Members of Parliament; for certain there have been others.

Against this background, I am certainly not alone in suggesting that our observance of the Human Rights Act, with respect to the perpetrators of these crimes, is frankly and wholly absurd, and if proven guilty, these perpetrators should be dealt with by our re-establishing capital punishment for such crimes.

The majority of members of our society are sick and tired of seeing perpetrators of such ghastly, sickening acts of murder get away with a jail sentence - at the taxpayers' expense - when they really, by their proven, horrific actions, do not deserve or have the right to exist in our society, even behind what are relatively “soft” bars, even if that is for the rest of their lives.

The re-establishment of capital punishment for those proven guilty beyond any shadow of doubt for such heinous crimes must be brought forward, as a priority, by our law makers, and those who would protect the human rights of such evil, murderous individuals be silenced in way of common sense, allowing society to a) eradicate itself of such evil individuals and b) send a strong message to any others who might be considering committing such heinous acts.

Paul McPhail, Glasgow.

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A living from Gaelic

KEN Macdonald’s letter regarding Gaelic (July 30) gave full and convincing arguments for the promotion of the Gaelic language. This contrasted with Stan Hogarth’s tired old clichés and blinkered approach in his tirade about the waste of money spent on promoting the Gaelic language (Letters, July 26). His statement that we would all become wealthier if only money wasn’t spent on Gaelic is a common meme. People often ignore the fact that Gaelic is a source of employment.

Three of our offspring, all Gaelic learners, have benefited culturally, linguistically and financially from the Gaelic path they have chosen in life. This was despite many loudly-stated misgivings from friends and other family members that there would be no jobs for them in Gaelic. Influencers to this route included some exposure at school and community to the language in the Western Isles (though not at that time Gaelic medium education); later at Burghead Primary School participating in that outstanding Gaelic choir; the National Mod; a traditional course at RSAMD (now Conservatoire), and Sabhal Mor Ostaig (thanks to the vision of Sir Ian Noble and others). They have been variously employed and remunerated by translating Gaelic film scripts, Gaelic medium teaching, composing Gaelic songs through Kodaly music, teaching at Feisean, and Gaelic graphic design. It is one-dimensional thinking to suppose that if Gaelic is lost it is only the Gaels who will lose.Scotland will suffer a cultural and financial deficit in ways that may not be apparent to the monoglot.

And who can tell that some people may have become learners through the influence of Runrig and other bands or even from being made curious about those controversial Gaelic road signs as well as the supplementary Gaelic instructions at the self-service checkout at the local Co-op?

Irene Munro, Conon Bridge.

Why does age matter?

I REMAIN mystified by the media’s need to tell us the age of the subject of their report. Thus, we are told that “police have arrested a 56-year-old man”; "the victim was an 80-year-old woman”; "a 59-year-old man has been arrested in connection with fraud allegations”; "the car was being driven by a 38-year-old woman".

We are constantly reminded that Sir Andy Murray is 37 and Amy Winehouse was 27 when she died.

I don’t see what it adds to the story. Are we to draw conclusions or make a judgment from the age of the person in question and their involvement in the circumstances giving rise to the report in the first place?

Away from the media employers cannot ask a potential employee’s age and cannot advertise for “a 25-30-year-old with relevant experience”.

Age is no guarantee of efficiency and youth is no guarantee of innovation.

Keith Swinley, Ayr.

Andy Murray, 37Andy Murray, 37 (Image: PA)

The death of conversation?

I NOTE the standard slovenly reply of "yeah" has now become "yeah, yeah, yeah". Moreover it is usually uttered as if in contempt that the question has been asked at all.

Other suspect phrases include "sort of" and "kind of" deteriorating into "sorta" and kinda". At this rate conversation will become a thing of the past. Surely a sentence that must be avoided.

Allan C Steele, Giffnock.