What You Should Know About AI in Medicine

Artificial intelligence (AI) already runs in the background of our daily lives, from streamlining book reviews with an AI-produced summary to selecting music based on our listening history. Beyond these everyday conveniences, AI is dramatically changing the healthcare landscape, with more than 600 AI-enabled medical devices now on the market.

"Today's AI is revolutionizing the way we approach diagnostics, treatment and patient management," said Brennan Spiegel, MD, director of Health Services Research for Cedars-Sinaiand the George and Dorothy Gourrich Chair in Digital Health Ethics.

With AI shaping the future of healthcare, it's critical to understand the key ways this evolving technology is impacting the care you receive-and how to advocate for yourself in this space.

Read: Cedars-Sinai Charts Healthcare's Future With Artificial Intelligence

Brennan M. Spiegel, MD, MSHS

Brennan M. Spiegel, MD, MSHS

Streamlined Operations

AI supports providers by increasing operational efficiency. Today's AI models can collect patient information, quickly and accurately triage patients, and capture and document data in a way that keeps insurers happy.

"AI may assist, but it's still the doctor who examines patients, makes diagnoses and charts the best course of treatment," said Jonathan Weiner, MD, medical director for Primary Care at Cedars-Sinai.

Concern:Bias. AI models that are trained on biased data can worsen health disparities.

"It's important to be aware this danger exists and to address it in the creation of the AI, as we do at Cedars-Sinai," Weiner said. "When proper precautions are built into the model, AI may also remove human implicit bias."

Read: Pursuing the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

Jonathan M. Weiner, MD

Enhanced Diagnostics

AI algorithms can process huge amounts of data in record time, making it easier for clinicians to diagnose and treat many conditions. It can analyze X-rays and MRIs and detect changes and patterns that aren't visible to the human eye. AI can also help providers in real time by monitoring patients' vital signs and sounding an alarm when something goes wrong.

"AI can often make the correct diagnosis and offer detailed explanations that mirror what you might expect from an experienced clinician," said Spiegel.

For example, AI assistance can dramatically improve polyp detection rates during a colonoscopy. Advanced algorithms analyze video feeds in real time, identifying polyps with a level of precision that rivals and sometimes surpasses the trained eye.

Concern: Black-box reasoning. Some AI tools use complex algorithms that are difficult to explain, which could pose safety concerns.

"This lack of transparency-often called 'black-box reasoning'-can leave scientists and clinicians with many unanswered questions," said Shaun Miller, MD, chief medical information officer at Cedars-Sinai.

Shaun J. Miller, MD

Shaun J. Miller, MD

Before rolling out AI algorithms, Cedars-Sinaitakes several important steps to address the black-box reasoning problem. These include vigorous testing on local Cedars-Sinaidata and closely monitoring each algorithm's performance, even after deployment, to make sure it works as expected.

"This process helps build trust among clinicians and patients, much like with prescription medications, where the exact mechanism of action is unclear, or diagnostic testing like labs and imaging, where the interpretation of results vary," Miller said.

In Discoveries: The Human Factor of Artificial Intelligence

Improved Patient Experience

With assistance from AI, doctors can more closely attend to the patient in front of them, paradoxically bringing the human connection back to medicine.

"AI reduces the administrative burden on providers, allowing them to do what they were trained to do: listen to and evaluate patients," said Weiner.

So, instead of spending 10 to 15 minutes taking notes and checking necessary boxes, doctors can be present with the patient while AI works in the background documenting the visit.

Concern: Privacy. With the use of AI scribes, the doctor is not the only person in the room with you, so it's natural to be concerned about privacy. But, according to Miller, AI tools are subject to the same strict privacy regulations as any other healthcare technology.

"We have clear policies in place for the collection and use of patient data, with or without AI," he said. "We're also paying close attention to the developing legislation specific to AI to make sure patient data remains fully protected."

Read: Cedars-Sinai Establishes Center for Artificial Intelligence Research and Education

The Take-Home Message

In the future, AI may handle patient interviews, generate diagnoses, and even order prescriptions and imaging tests. But even as AI begins to occupy more space in the healthcare landscape, partnering with your doctor to address your healthcare needs remains crucial.

"AI can simulate compassion and empathy, responding in ways that feel supportive and understanding. But it can't look someone in the eyes during a moment of vulnerability, read their body language, or replace the deep human connection that a skilled doctor can create with a patient," Spiegel said. "The best doctors will learn to leverage AI, blending their intuition and emotional insight with machine precision. But doctors are here to stay, because humans will always need humans."

As AI becomes more integrated into healthcare, you should feel empowered to ask your doctor how AI tools and algorithms are being used in your care.

"I would advise patients to ask the same questions we ask: 'How do you use AI, and how does it help you take care of me?' 'Will you still look at the results to make sure you agree?' I think the care team will answer in a way that is very reassuring," Weiner said. "We are clinicians, but sometimes we are also patients, and we understand the anxiety and stress that comes with the interpretation of all results and workups."

In today's healthcare model, AI is a powerful ally, reducing the increasing demands on doctors so they can focus on what they do best: care for you.

Read: The Time Is Now for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning