Artificial Intelligence (AI) provides virtual assistance for the human intelligence processes by machines, primarily computer systems. AI encompasses multiple disciplines including healthcare, finance, transportation, and many other sectors.¹

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform health care and disrupt the field of medicine in significant ways. It has shown remarkable progress in tasks such as diagnostics, data analysis, and precision medicine and is already being applied in areas ranging from patient assessment to cancer detection.²

Chat GPT successfully passed the USMLE and can solve medical case files, indicating its versatility and potential.³ In the near future, physicians may leverage medical-grade AI language models for consultations, receiving valuable insights and assistance in various aspects. We may see them using prompts such as:

• Provide advice on diagnosis and treatment for these symptoms
• Analyze this X-ray and detect abnormalities
• Write a letter explaining the medical necessity of this treatment

By incorporating these tools, doctors can improve the quality of care while saving time on tasks that can be automated with AI

Physician-machine collaboration in medicine

There is speculation about AI eventually replacing physicians, particularly in fields like radiology, pathology, and dermatology, where AI's diagnostic ability can match or even exceed that of clinicians. However, research suggests that physician-machine collaborations will outperform either one alone.

It's unlikely that AI will completely replace physicians anytime soon. The human aspects of care, including empathy, compassion, critical thinking, and complex decision-making, are invaluable in providing holistic patient care beyond diagnosis and treatment decisions.⁵

Consideration of AI in healthcare

Despite the potential benefits of AI in health care, there are significant safety, privacy, reliability, and ethical considerations. ⁴

Physicians will likely continue to play a critical role in ensuring that medical decisions' ethical and moral implications are carefully considered and that patients receive the highest quality of care. To achieve this, physicians must be prepared to take on new roles and responsibilities in the era of AI, including expanded opportunities in medical informatics.

Enhancing medicine with AI

AI has the potential to transform health care for the better. It's a powerful tool that can improve patient outcomes when complemented with physician expertise. AI can also facilitate scientific discovery and breakthroughs in disease prevention and treatment through vast data analytics.⁵

Integrating AI into routine clinical practice will require careful validation, training, and ongoing monitoring to ensure its accuracy, safety, and effectiveness in supporting physicians to deliver care.

While AI can be a valuable asset in the medical field, it cannot replace the human element. However, AI can and should be used to enhance the practice of medicine, empowering doctors with the latest technological tools to serve our patients better.

Conclusion: The future of AI in medical sciences

Despite the above limitations, AI looks well-positioned to revolutionize the healthcare industry. AI systems can help free up the time for busy doctors by transcribing notes, entering and organizing patient data into portals, and diagnosing patients, potentially serving as a means for providing a second opinion for physicians. Artificially intelligent systems can also help patients with follow-up care and the availability of prescription drug alternatives. AI also has the capability of remotely diagnosing patients, thus extending medical services to remote areas, beyond the major urban centers of the world. There is a promising future for AI in healthcare.

References:

1. Dwivedi YK, Hughes L, Ismagilova E, Aarts G, Coombs C, Crick T, Duan Y, Dwivedi R, Edwards J, Eirug A, Galanos V. Artificial Intelligence (AI): Multidisciplinary perspectives on emerging challenges, opportunities, and agenda for research, practice and policy. International Journal of Information Management. 2021 Apr 1; 57:101994.
2. Meskó B, Görög M. A short guide for medical professionals in the era of artificial intelligence. NPJ digital medicine. 2020 Sep 24;3(1):126.
3. Kung TH, Cheatham M, Medenilla A, Sillos C, De Leon L, Elepaño C, Madriaga M, Aggabao R, Diaz-Candido G, Maningo J, Tseng V. Performance of ChatGPT on USMLE: potential for AI-assisted medical education using large language models. PLoS digital health. 2023 Feb 9;2(2):e0000198.
4. Lee P, Bubeck S, Petro J. Benefits, limits, and risks of GPT-4 as an AI chatbot for medicine. New England Journal of Medicine. 2023 Mar 30;388(13):1233-9.
5. Haug CJ, Drazen JM. Artificial intelligence and machine learning in clinical medicine, 2023. New England Journal of Medicine. 2023 Mar 30;388(13):1201-8.
6. Alowais SA, Alghamdi SS, Alsuhebany N, Alqahtani T, Alshaya AI, Almohareb SN, Aldairem A, Alrashed M, Bin Saleh K, Badreldin HA, Al Yami MS. Revolutionizing healthcare: the role of artificial intelligence in clinical practice. BMC medical education. 2023 Sep 22;23(1):689.