Artificial intelligence in medicine: What is it doing for us today?

Abstract

Abstract With its origins in the mid- to late-1900s, today, artificial intelligence (AI) is used in a wide range of medical fields for varying purposes. This review first covers the early work regarding AI in medicine, then aims to elucidate some of the most current applications of machine learning in medicine according to the following four specific categories: (1) its use in assessing the risk of disease onset and in estimating treatment success; (2) its use in managing or alleviating complications; (3) its role in ongoing patient care; and (4) its use in ongoing pathology and treatment efficacy research. Lastly, this paper clarifies some of the potential drawbacks, concerns, and uncertainties surrounding the use of AI in medicine and briefly discusses some of the efforts being made to prepare the health care industry for the implementation of AI.