Artificial Intelligence in Medicine: Beginner’s Guide

Abstract

Artificial intelligence is expected to influence clinical practice substantially in the foreseeable future. Despite all the excitement around the technology, it cannot be denied that the application of artificial intelligence in medicine is overhyped. In fact, artificial intelligence for medicine is presently in its infancy, and very few are currently in clinical use. To best leverage the potential of this technology to improve patient care, clinicians need to see beyond the hype, as the guidance and leadership of medical professionals are critical in this matter. To this end, medical professionals must understand the underlying technological basics of artificial intelligence, as well as the methodologies of its proper clinical validation. They should also have an impartial, complete view of the capabilities, pitfalls, and limitations of the technology and its use in healthcare. The present article provides succinct explanations of these matters and suggests further reading materials (peer-reviewed articles and web pages) for medical professionals who are unfamiliar with artificial intelligence.

Keywords

• artificial intelligence
• machine learning
• medicine
• medical imaging
• diagnoses