Microsoft said the medical AI system diagnosed cases more accurately than human doctors.
In a blog post published Monday, Tech Giant said the AI system, Microsoft AI Diagnostic Orchestrator, diagnosed the case as accurately as a group of experienced doctors in testing.
Microsoft's research raises questions about whether AI tools can quickly advance and automate into hospitals and clinics, how can they automate, and what roles can diagnostic AI systems be capable of.
The experiment included 304 case studies sourced from the New England Journal of Medicine. Both the AI and the physician had to resolve these cases in stages. Just like at a real clinic, you can narrow down your test orders, questions and possibilities.
The AI system was combined with large language models from high-tech companies such as Openai, Meta, Anthropic, and Google. According to Microsoft, when combined with Openai's O3, the AI diagnostic system correctly resolved 85.5% of cases.
In contrast, 21 practice physicians from the US and UK (each of which have 5 to 20 years of experience, with an average accuracy of 20% in completed cases, and the company is a company. Added. In this study, physicians were not able to access resources that they might tap for diagnosis, including coworkers, books, and AI.
The AI system also solved cases that were “cost-effective” than the human counterpart, Microsoft said.
“Our findings also suggest that AI will reduce unnecessary healthcare costs. It is estimated that US health spending is nearing 20% of US GDP, with up to 25% being wasted,” he added.
“We are taking a big step towards the tensions in healthcare,” said Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft's AI division, in an X post.
He added that the cases used in the study are “some of the most difficult and diagnostically complex things” that doctors can face.
Suleyman previously led the AI initiative at Google.
Microsoft did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.
Will AI replace doctors?
In a blog post, Microsoft said that AI is “a complementary to doctors and other healthcare professionals.”
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“The technology is rapidly advancing, but their clinical role is much broader than simply making a diagnosis. They need to navigate ambiguity with what AI should do and build trust with patients and their families,” Microsoft said.
“I believe that clinical roles will evolve with AI,” he added.
Technology leaders like Microsoft Cofounder Bill Gates say AI can help solve a long-standing doctor shortage.
“AI comes in and provide medical IQ, and there's no shortage,” he said in an episode of the “People by WTF” podcast released in April.
But the doctor said AI can't yet replace clinicians and should not.
AI can't replicate doctors Dr. Shrabang Berma, CEO of Singapore-based health technology startup, said that presence, empathy and subtle judgment in uncertain or complex situations have been said.
Chatbots and AI tools can handle first mile care, but they need to escalate to qualified professionals if necessary, he told BI last month.
Are there any stories to share about AI in Healthcare? Please contact this reporter cmlee@insider.com.
