Artificial intelligence (AI) is being used everywhere today, including in healthcare. If you've heard this story before, you might imagine robots roaming hospital hallways and computers making life-and-death decisions. But the reality is much more real and much more personal.
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AI is not here to replace doctors. No chatbot or large language model (LLM) can replace professional medicine. Instead, AI can give your medical team better tools to care for you and make a big difference to your health.
We spoke to experts about the real-world ways AI is already improving healthcare and how it could help improve healthcare in the future.
The role of AI in healthcare
Simply put, artificial intelligence refers to the use of computers to perform specific tasks that typically require human intelligence. It is used in healthcare (and countless other fields) to help people work more effectively and efficiently.
That's always the case with new technology. Think of it like this: If you were traveling from New York to London, would you do it by plane or by rowboat? If you needed to let your boss know that you were going to be late for work, would you send a text message or a telegram? AI technology is just the latest innovation to help you do things faster and better than before.
“AI is no longer an experiment,” says Dr. Ben Shahshahani, chief AI officer at the Cleveland Clinic. “This is a truly scalable tool that can support patients, providers, and health systems. It can improve outcomes, reduce stress for caregivers, and make care more accessible and efficient for everyone involved.”
6 ways AI can help improve healthcare
AI is already being implemented behind the scenes in many hospitals and clinics. Here are some ways your provider can help support you.
1. More reliable diagnosis
Accurately reading X-rays, MRIs, CTs, ultrasounds, and other diagnostic images allows you to receive the appropriate treatment. Additionally, certain AI tools are trained to spot early signs of trouble that even a trained human eye might miss.
This is especially useful for screenings such as mammograms, where small changes can signal early breast cancer. AI tools can flag areas of concern for radiologists. These tools may also reduce the number of false positives, leading to fewer unnecessary callbacks and less worry.
Healthcare teams may also use AI to:
- Interpret images to identify fractures, brain aneurysms, and other concerns
- Tracking nodules over time to detect cancer
- Flag potential concerns that may be overlooked
- Supports diagnostic decision making
2. Rapid response in emergencies
In medical emergencies like strokes and pulmonary embolisms, time is everything. Some hospitals are now using AI programs that analyze images the moment they are taken. This means that if someone has a clogged blood vessel, the AI can immediately flag it and alert the team.
“Having AI be the first and fastest agent to triage images saves valuable time,” says diagnostic radiologist Dr. Pohao Chen. “If we find someone who has had a stroke, we can mobilize resources for treatment.”
AI can also help emergency teams prioritize treatment in the following ways:
- Triage people based on urgency
- Automatically alert your medical team
- Coordinate care behind the scenes to keep everyone in sync
“AI gives us the added speed we need when every second counts,” emphasizes Dr. Chen.
3. Track your health changes
AI is helping healthcare professionals zoom out to see the big picture and make more informed treatment decisions over time.
Take lung nodules as an example. If your doctor finds a small spot in your lungs during a scan, it may not be immediately clear whether it's something to worry about. We usually recommend regular follow-up scans to look for changes.
“Anything that grows is more likely to be cancerous,” Dr. Chen explains. “Those that aren't are more likely to be benign. That's why it's so important to track them.”
Until recently, radiologists manually measured nodules and compared whether they changed between scans. However, there may be some variation in measurements between radiologists.
The AI tool automatically records and measures nodules so nothing gets missed or lost in translation.
“This increases consistency in follow-up care and helps us know when further testing is needed,” he added.
4. Personalization of care
AI also opens new doors for tailoring treatment plans to specific needs.
“We now know that there is much more that can be discovered using AI,” says epileptologist Dr. Lara Jehi.
Dr. Jehi is leading research into how machine learning can help epilepsy surgeons make more informed decisions. Traditionally, doctors relied on test results and the surgeon's experience to determine whether someone would benefit from surgery. However, it has been difficult to determine who will respond best to which surgical method.
AI tools can now analyze large amounts of patient data, from brain scans to genetic profiles, and create more personalized care plans based on what has worked for similar patients in the past.
“With AI, we can get deeper insights from the same tests we've always used,” Dr. Jehi explains. “This helps us deliver the right treatment to the right patient.”
5. Supporting research and innovation
AI doesn’t just help today’s patients; We are also accelerating research that could lead to tomorrow's breakthroughs.
“Biomedical research is changing,” Dr. Jaehee points out. “AI can help analyze things like genetic data and protein interactions, all of which can help develop new treatments faster.”
AI allows researchers to more easily interpret large amounts of data. It might help them:
- development of new drugs
- Understand how diseases work
- Discovery of biomarkers that predict disease risk and treatment success
- Personalize treatment to match a patient's unique biology
- Combine patient data to uncover bigger health trends
- Make clinical trials more efficient by identifying ideal participants and flagging early results
That's just a short list.
Reliable research must be conducted systematically. Scientists test, refine, and confirm the results to ensure they are robust. But AI may help speed up the most tedious part, allowing you to turn solid research into real-world benefits for you and your loved ones faster than ever before.
“I see AI as a path forward where there is no data left behind,” says Dr. Jaehee. “The more insight we have, the more meaningful care we can provide.”
6. Improving the efficiency of management operations
Behind every appointment is a mountain of paperwork: medical records, prescriptions, records, schedules, and more. AI frees up time so medical teams can focus on what matters. That is, you.
“There is a shortage of caregivers and a lot of burnout, and a lot of it is due to administrative tasks,” Dr. Shahshahani explains. “AI can help reduce these burdens and free up time so clinicians can focus more on patients, and patients notice the difference.”
For example, AI-powered note-taking tools can now “listen in” during appointments (with your permission). This means that your provider is not wasting your valuable visit time filling out charts. They are spending time connecting with you.
AI also powers virtual assistants and chatbots that handle simple tasks such as:
- Get medical history faster
- Help you schedule your next appointment
- Send medication reminders
- Virtual visit support
It also plays a big role behind the scenes in cost and operations. “AI can help automate many time-consuming tasks such as billing, documentation, and pre-approval,” adds Dr. Shahshahani. “This allows us to save costs and allocate resources better.”
The future of AI in healthcare: expectations and cautions
AI has the potential to make healthcare smarter and safer. Dr. Shahshahani believes the biggest advances in the future will come from AI-powered personalized medicine and preventive care. With access to everything from genetics to smartwatch data, AI can help identify which treatments are most effective and catch problems early.
“It's impossible for humans to absorb all the information at once,” he says. “But that’s exactly what AI is good at: sifting through years of data to understand what matters most to each individual patient.”
However, responsible use is important.
For example, researchers have raised potential ethical concerns about AI and called for more responsible implementation of AI, including protecting patient privacy and promoting responsible use of data.
The World Health Organization and others recommend caution when using large-scale language models (a type of AI used by platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity.ai). These tools are not intended to provide medical advice and often cause “hallucinations” and errors that can cause damage.
“These systems are not built or approved for medical use,” Dr. Shahshahani clarifies. “They're reviewing public information, not your personal health history. Always bring your concerns to your doctor, who can interpret the big picture and work with you to make safe and informed decisions.”
Your health care team continues to be your best and most trusted resource for getting the care you deserve. But what AI is doing today makes it easier for your team to focus on what they do best: getting to know you, understanding you, and making healthy decisions with you.
