I work as a researcher in the Radiology Department at X University Hospital. X University Hospital is a designated special hospital, providing advanced medical care and conducting research, development, evaluation, and training in the medical field. Our hospital was founded 100 years ago and underwent a complete renovation two years ago. Approximately 3,000 staff members support our patients' health. Our outpatient department sees an annual total of 860,000 patients, and our inpatient department treats 300,000 patients.

My primary role is supporting hospitals in adopting AI and DX technologies.
Healthcare professionals are burdened with a multitude of daily tasks, including the input of image diagnosis data, report generation, and patient record management. To address this, we will conduct a detailed analysis of each task, and design standardized work processes accordingly. By implementing a support system using AI or DX technology based on these standardized processes, we aim to improve operational efficiency and enhance the quality of care.

While AI can excel at pattern recognition and data analysis, it still lacks contextual understanding. I believe AI is not a replacement for human expertise. Radiologists will continue to play a critical role in interpreting complex cases, communicating findings to patients and other healthcare providers, and making ultimate diagnostic decisions. The future of radiology likely involves    human-AI collaboration, where AI serves as a powerful tool to expand the capabilities of radiologists.

Routine tasks such as quantitative image analysis, segmentation, anomaly detection, and report generation should be delegated to AI. On the other hand, interpreting AI-detected anomalies, making comprehensive judgments based on multiple image data, and communicating with patients and specialists should be the responsibility of physicians. While radiographers will continue to operate CT and MRI scanners and perform image acquisition, tasks such as parameter setting, alignment, and dose adjustment can be replaced by AI. Effective utilization of AI is expected to shorten diagnosis times, improve diagnostic accuracy, and reduce medical costs.

Some people worry that increased reliance on AI in healthcare could diminish critical thinking among medical professionals. However, AI systems, trained on diagnostic images and expert reports, can provide responses comparable to average human experts. Medical students and residents can use AI as a learning tool to acquire essential knowledge. By understanding and effectively utilizing AI, healthcare professionals can enhance their skills. Ultimately, the pursuit of exceptional knowledge and skills beyond AI's capabilities depends on individual effort.