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The benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) in the medical space are ever-growing, but evidence suggests it can also come with risks.
A new study by European researchers investigated how AI can change the behavior of endoscopists when conducting a colonoscopy, and how their performance dips when not using AI.
The research followed clinicians at four endoscopy centers in Poland participating in the ACCEPT (Artificial Intelligence in Colonoscopy for Cancer Prevention) trial, where AI tools for polyp detection were introduced at the end of 2021.
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Colonoscopies at these centers were randomly selected to be administered with or without AI assistance.
The researchers gauged the quality of the colonoscopies by comparing the identification of tumors (also known as the adenoma detection rate, or ADR) three months before and three months after implementing the AI.
A study discovered that doctors who used AI in colonoscopies became worse at spotting the cancer themselves. (iStock)
From September 2021 to March 2022, 1,443 patients underwent non-AI-assisted colonoscopies before and after the introduction of AI.
The study found that the tumor detection rate decreased “significantly,” going from 28.4% before AI exposure to 22.4% after AI exposure.
The findings were published in the journal Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
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Per the researchers’ analysis, exposure to AI, patient gender and age were “independent factors” associated with the tumor identification rate.
The researchers concluded that “continuous exposure to AI might reduce the ADR of standard non-AI-assisted colonoscopy, suggesting a negative effect on endoscopist behavior.”
Research identified a 6% drop in detection rates during non-AI-assisted colonoscopies. (iStock)
Harvey Castro, M.D., an emergency physician and specialist in AI and healthcare based in Texas, said he considers this study an “important piece of work.”
“This study highlights a paradox in medicine: Artificial intelligence can help us detect cancer, but it may also weaken the doctor’s own ability to see what matters when the tool is not available,” he said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
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Castro emphasized that even a 1% change can affect colon cancer survival for “thousands of patients,” which makes the 6% drop in detection rates significant.
“Even small changes in adenoma detection can shift cancer outcomes,” he said. “A reduction of a few percentage points is meaningful at a population level.”
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The expert recommends integrating AI “wisely” instead of avoiding it all together.
“As a physician futurist, I believe artificial intelligence is one of the most powerful tools we have for improving detection and saving lives,” Castro said.
“Even small changes in adenoma detection can shift cancer outcomes,” said a doctor and AI expert. “A reduction of a few percentage points is meaningful at a population level.” (iStock)
“At the same time, this study reminds us of a simple truth: Medicine is still a human profession. The doctor’s eye, judgment and pattern recognition remain irreplaceable.”
Castro commented that the right path forward with AI in medicine is balance, designing it to strengthen clinicians instead of weakening.
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“That requires training, oversight and intentional design,” he said.
“The best future is one where technology and humanity work side-by-side, doctor plus machine, ensuring patients get the safest and most effective care possible.”
