The perceptions of medical physicists towards relevance and impact of artificial intelligence.

Josilene C Santos,Jeannie Hsiu Ding Wong,Vinod Pallath,Kwan Hoong Ng

doi:10.1007/s13246-021-01036-9

Josilene C Santos, Jeannie Hsiu Ding Wong + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s13246-021-01036-9

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Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) is an innovative tool with the potential to impact medical physicists' clinical practices, research, and the profession. The relevance of AI and its impact on the clinical practice and routine of professionals in medical physics were evaluated by medical physicists and researchers in this field. An online survey questionnaire was designed for distribution to professionals and students in medical physics around the world. In addition to demographics questions, we surveyed opinions on the role of AI in medical physicists' practices, the possibility of AI threatening/disrupting the medical physicists' practices and career, the need for medical physicists to acquire knowledge on AI, and the need for teaching AI in postgraduate medical physics programmes. The level of knowledge of medical physicists on AI was also consulted. A total of 1019 respondents from 94 countries participated. More than 85% of the respondents agreed that AI would play an essential role in medical physicists' practices. AI should be taught in the postgraduate medical physics programmes, and that more applications such as quality control(QC), treatment planning would be performed by AI. Half of the respondents thought AI would not threaten/disrupt the medical physicists' practices. AI knowledge was mainly acquired through self-taught and work-related activities. Nonetheless, many (40%) reported that they have no skill in AI. The general perception of medical physicists was that AI is here to stay, influencing our practices. Medical physicists should be prepared with education and training for this new reality.

Highlights

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is broadly referred to as ‘the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages.’ – Oxford Dictionary.The term Artificial intelligence (AI) was first coined by John McCarthy in 1956 as the science of engineering and making intelligent machines
AI should be taught in the postgraduate medical physics programmes, and that more applications such as quality control, treatment planning will be performed by AI
The general perception of medical physicists is that AI is here to stay, and it will influence our practice

Summary

Introduction

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is broadly referred to as ‘the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages.’ – Oxford Dictionary.The term AI was first coined by John McCarthy in 1956 as the science of engineering and making intelligent machines. Early works in AI had not achieved many breakthroughs due to the limited computing power It was only in the last decade that AI research in healthcare and medicine had started to show promising results and practical applications, from facial recognition to fully automatic detection, and even finding new biomarkers. It has been recognised as both a productive and disruptive force in healthcare [1]. Some clinicians may view AI as a threat to the future of their medical practice [6] This results in some ambivalence in the attitude towards the acceptance of AI

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