The influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on an array of industries
The influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on an array of industries has sparked curiosity about its potential to automate job tasks, particularly its role and impact on healthcare professionals, especially radiologists analyzing scans to identify illnesses and cancers. The promising technology of AI, which has been gradually invading this field for around ten years, holds the potential to enhance diagnostic precision, reduce workload, and even replace certain aspects of a radiologist’s job. Dr. Ronald Summers, an AI-specialist radiologist at the National Institutes of Health, boldly notes that some AI methods are so efficient, he advocates for their immediate implementation.
Assessing the Present and Envisioning the Future
Despite AI’s immense potential, the radiology sector has been slow to adopt this technology. Although the FDA has greenlighted over 700 AI algorithms intended to support doctors, a mere 2% of radiology practices leverage this technology.
Emphasizing the importance of understanding an AI’s source of learning, Dr. Curtis Langlotz from Stanford University’s AI research center states that, “If we are not privy to the AI’s test cases or if those are dissimilar to the type of patients we examine, it casts doubts on the AI’s efficiency in our line of work.”
Healthcare experts predict that AI will initially serve as an auxiliary resource, similar to the autopilot systems in planes, operating under constant human supervision. This approach has received positive responses from doctors and patients.
Dr. Laurie Margolies, from the Mount Sinai hospital network in New York, referred to the use of AI in breast imaging as a second opinion tool. She mentioned, “When I verify to patients that both I and the computer have examined and agree upon the findings, it bolsters their confidence in the diagnosis.”
AI’s Positive Impact Underpinned by Research
Initial findings from a Swedish investigation involving 80,000 women indicated that the collaboration of a radiologist with AI led to the identification of 20% more cancers compared to diagnosis without the technology. Dr. Kristina Lang from Lund University underscored that in order to maintain patients’ trust, the final diagnoses should be the prerogative of the radiologist.
With the continued progression in AI technology, regulators, healthcare practitioners, and patients need to understand both the immense prospects and the intricate challenges it presents. While it’s evident that AI is accelerating its influence in healthcare and more specifically, radiology, the extent to which it will transition from a reliable support mechanism to autonomously assuming more diagnostic responsibilities is yet to unfold.
