Revolutionising medicine with AI: From early detection to precision care

It has been more than four years since AI was first introduced into clinical trials involving humans. Even back then, it was evident that the advancement of artificial intelligence—currently the most popular buzzword online in 2024—would enhance every aspect of society, including medicine.

Thanks to AI-powered tools, diseases that once baffled humanity are now much better understood. Some conditions are also easier to detect, even in their earliest stages, significantly improving diagnosis outcomes. For these reasons, AI in medicine stands out as one of the most valuable technological advances, with the potential to improve individual health and, ultimately, the overall well-being of society.

Although ethical concerns and doubts about the accuracy of AI-assisted diagnostic tools persist, it is clear that the coming years and decades will bring developments and improvements that once seemed purely theoretical.

AI collaborates with radiologists to enhance diagnostic accuracy

AI has been a crucial aid in medical diagnostics for some time now. A Japanese study showed that ChatGPT performed more accurate assessments than experts in the field.

After performing 150 diagnostics, neuroradiologists recorded an 80% accuracy rate for AI. These promising results encouraged the research team to explore integrating such AI systems into apps and medical devices. They also highlighted the importance of incorporating AI education into medical curricula to better prepare future healthcare professionals.

Early detection of brain tumours and lung cancer

Early detection of diseases, particularly cancer, is critical to a patient’s chances of survival. Many companies are focusing on improving AI within medical equipment to diagnose brain tumours and lung cancer in their earliest stages.

The algorithm developed by Imidex, which has received FDA approval, is currently in clinical trials. Its purpose is to improve the screening of potential lung cancer patients.

Collaborating with Spesana, the company is expected to be among the first to market once the research is finalised.

Growing competition shows AI’s progress

An increasing number of companies entering the AI-in-medicine field suggests that these advancements will be more widely accessible than initially expected. While the mentioned companies are set to dominate the North American market, a French startup Bioptimus is targeting Europe.

Their AI model, trained on millions of medical images, is capable of identifying cancerous cells and genetic anomalies within tumours, pushing the boundaries of precision medicine.

Public trust in AI medical diagnosis

New technologies often face public scepticism and AI in medicine is no exception. A 2023 study found that many patients feel uneasy with doctors relying on AI during treatment.

The Pew Research Centre report revealed that 60% of Americans are against AI-assisted diagnostics, while only 39% support it. Furthermore, 57% believe AI could worsen the doctor-patient relationship, compared to 13% who think it might improve it.

As for treatment outcomes, 38% anticipate improvements with AI, 33% expect negative results, and 27% believe no major changes will occur.

AI’s role in tackling dementia

Dementia, a progressive illness affecting cognitive functions, remains a major challenge for healthcare. However, AI has shown promising potential in this area. Through advanced pattern recognition, AI systems can analyse massive datasets, detect changes in brain structure, and identify early warning signs of dementia, long before symptoms manifest.

By processing various test results and brain scans, AI algorithms enable earlier interventions, which can greatly improve patients’ quality of life. In particular, researchers from Edinburgh and Dundee are hopeful that their AI tool, SCAN-DAN, will revolutionise the early detection of this neurodegenerative disease.

The project is part of the larger global NEURii collaboration, which aims to develop digital health tools that can address some of the most pressing challenges in dementia research.

Helping with early breast cancer detection

AI has shown great potential in improving the effectiveness of ultrasound, mammography, and MRI scans for breast cancer detection. Researchers in the USA have developed an AI system capable of refining disease staging by accurately distinguishing between benign and malignant tumours.

Moreover, the AI system can reduce false positives and negatives, a common problem in traditional breast cancer detection methods. The ability to improve diagnostic accuracy and provide a better understanding of disease stages is crucial in treating breast cancer from its earliest signs.

Investment in AI set to skyrocket

With early diagnosis playing a pivotal role in curing diseases, more companies are seeking partnerships and funding to keep pace with the leading investors in AI technology.

Recent projections indicate that AI could add nearly USD $20 trillion to the global economy by 2030. While it is still difficult to estimate healthcare’s share in this growth, some early predictions suggest that AI in medicine could account for more than 10% of that value.

What is clear, however, is that major global companies are not missing the opportunity to invest in businesses developing AI-driven medical equipment.

What can we expect in the future?

AI is making significant progress across various industries, and its impact on medicine could be transformational. If healthcare receives as much or more AI focus than fields like economics and ecology, the potential to revolutionise medicine as a science is immense.

Various AI systems that learn about diseases and treatment processes have the capacity to gather and analyse far more information than the human brain. As regulatory frameworks evolve worldwide, AI-driven diagnostic tools may lead to faster, more accurate disease detection than ever before, potentially marking a major turning point in the history of medical science.