AI use exploding in healthcare industry, as providers gain confidence in its use

By HPN Staff

As artificial intelligence is layered into the economy, some of the strongest emerging use cases are in healthcare.

It’s a potential time saver for medical staff, handling tasks that require repetition and, in many cases, analysis. For example, multiple studies have found that AI is as good as a doctor at analyzing X-rays. However, a study published by Harvard Medical School last year suggested that the accuracy varies heavily by doctor, depending in part on their comfort level with the technology.

The American Medical Association surveyed more than 1,000 physicians about AI in 2023, then updated the study in 2024, and found doctors “remain enthusiastic about the potential of AI in healthcare.”

That enthusiasm grew slightly from 2023 to 2024, the AMA said, but usage exploded, with 38% of physicians reporting AI use in 2023 and 66% reporting it in 2024.

Why it matters

The World Economic Forum says 4.5 billion people worldwide lack access to essential healthcare and that “artificial intelligence could help bridge that gap.”

The forum's report indicated that annual private investment in healthcare-related AI exceeded $9 billion last year.

It’s not just clinical settings that will change — regulators are using AI. In May, the Food and Drug Administration said it would immediately scale up use after a pilot project successfully sped up clinical reviews.

“I was blown away by the success of our first AI-assisted scientific review pilot,” FDA Commissioner Martin A. Makary said at the time. “The agency-wide deployment of these capabilities holds tremendous promise in accelerating the review time for new therapies.”

Insurers are also using artificial intelligence to review and, in some cases, deny claims, leading to a class action lawsuit against major carriers. At least one startup has harnessed AI to fight back, developing a program that digs into medical details, reviews similar insurance claims and generates an appeal letter the patient can send to their insurer.

With all these moving parts, policymakers are reacting. Pennsylvania lawmakers introduced legislation this month that would require clinicians and insurers to disclose when AI is used in their decision-making.

The bigger picture

Clinical uses are growing. Nature recently published a review of 19 studies that looked at various AI healthcare uses and found “AI improves diagnostic accuracy, enhances quality-adjusted life years, and reduces costs — largely by minimizing unnecessary procedures and optimizing resource use.”

Some of the real-world examples:

• A team at Carnegie Mellon University tested a cancer-screening tool and said 50% to 70% of the patients it identified as high risk for lung, liver or pancreatic cancer were later diagnosed with those diseases.
• Researchers in London developed an AI stethoscope that they say can detect heart conditions in 15 seconds.
• London researchers have also said AI was “twice as accurate as using a standard visual method” in analyzing brain scans.
• Another study out of England suggests AI can be used to determine which hospitals patients should be sent to.
• The Cleveland Clinic said in September that it plans to use an AI sepsis detection system in all its hospitals after tests showed the program could identify problem cases and decrease false alerts.