AI in Medicine – Will Algorithms Become the Better Doctors?

Artificial intelligence is being used increasingly in medicine today. Algorithms recognize cancer patterns or can make prognoses for strokes - sometimes better than humans.

Digitalization in medicine provides huge amounts of data, a treasure that has immense value for the future of medicine. Computer programs will use it to gain new insights and develop therapies. They can predict complications, provide support during complicated operations or analyze nutrients in dishes based on a photo. And many other projects are in development. But what is science fiction and what will become reality? In Bern, the Inselspital Bern and the university are breaking new ground. Computer scientists, biomedical engineers and doctors are working together to develop new AI technologies.
Despite all the enthusiasm, however, there are also concerns and warnings of new risks in the application: How good are the AI systems really? And how can they be checked to avoid errors? Many systems are still like a black box; doctors often do not understand how the diagnoses are made. AI systems are like co-pilots. And doctors need to know how these systems work. But what will happen when artificial intelligence gets better and better? Will algorithms then decide on therapies alone? And what role will remain for doctors?