High Tech or Way of the Future? — Message From an Editor

Discussions around artificial intelligence (AI) are popping up in all my circles these days. There are certainly mixed feelings with both excitement and apprehension being expressed. The use of AI is expanding rapidly and is already the standard of care in many areas of medicine. As a person who embraces new technologies, I have been keen to learn how AI can augment my own clinical practice.

I will admit I am approaching the use of AI with caution and understand there is no replacement for our training and clinical acumen. After years of practice, what I do know is that I want to spend more time with my patients, and I want to relieve my day of menial repetitive tasks that consume so much of my valuable time. I am convinced that AI is the way to achieve both things.

But where does one begin?

There are two main forms of AI in medicine: physical, or robotic, AI and diagnostic, or virtual, AI. Robotic AI has been used extensively in surgery and includes the famed Davinci Robot. This form of physical AI was designed to improve precision and decrease surgical errors. There are currently many applications that have shortened surgical time and led to better post-operative outcomes. The technology is, however, not without shortcomings, including a lack of decision-making ability and creativity. Currently, physical AI advances are best at augmenting existing techniques rather than replacing them. Clinical judgment will remain a necessary skill when real life doesn’t follow a well-defined algorithm.

Virtual or diagnostic AI has been used to analyze complex data to produce sensitive and predictive diagnostics. Such AI systems have increased the volume and speed of data review well beyond that of a human. These analyses are then used to improve clinical diagnostic accuracy and have current applications in specialties like radiology. Virtual AI has also been pivotal in easing the administrative burden on healthcare workers by reducing time spent on record keeping and administrative paperwork. Clinician-to-clinician correspondence has been simplified and the sharing of information between specialists has become easier and more robust.

The use of AI doesn’t, however, come without serious concerns. Protection of patient data and safety of clinical outcomes are at the forefront of everyone’s minds. There are also concerns about adoptive repetitive biases which must be eliminated from these models. I believe our scientific community is obligated to validate and monitor the use of AI in healthcare. Future challenges are likely to arise due to tension between corporate advancement and patient well-being.

How AI will impact our practices remains to be seen. I am already using AI programs to improve my clinical notes, letter writing, and organization of presentations. There are opportunities to use AI at all levels of practice, from research to data mining, and even with surgical techniques. I am very excited about the prospect of improving our patient outcomes, simplifying administrative work, and advancing technologies. So as not to be left behind, our specialty must learn to embrace this technology, but my recommendation is with full transparency. Healthcare systems individually and collectively should learn and align with AI applications. Once implemented, I truly believe the use of AI will lead to better work-life balance and more fulfillment in our careers.

Robin Gallardi, DDS, MS, FRCDC, Dip ABOMS