Prepared by: Administrative Officer Kowthar Aqeel Kazim<br /><br />Introduction<br />The development of artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized many aspects of life, with the healthcare sector among the biggest beneficiaries. AI enhances diagnostics, improves patient care, and reduces costs. However, significant technical and ethical challenges still hinder its full adoption in this field.<br /><br />Applications of AI in Healthcare<br />AI-Assisted Medical Diagnosis<br /><br />Medical image analysis (e.g., X-rays, MRI): Systems like Google DeepMind can detect tumors faster than humans.<br /><br />Rare disease diagnosis by comparing patient symptoms against vast medical databases.<br /><br />Intelligent Surgical Robots<br /><br />Robots such as the da Vinci Surgical System enable highly precise operations with minimal human intervention.<br /><br />Virtual Patient Assistants<br /><br />Chatbots answer patient queries, schedule appointments, and send medication reminders.<br /><br />Big Data Analytics & Epidemic Prediction<br /><br />AI can forecast disease outbreaks based on travel patterns, weather data, and biological markers.<br /><br />Personalized Medicine<br /><br />AI analyzes genetic profiles and medical histories to tailor treatments for each patient.<br /><br />Challenges Facing AI in Healthcare<br />Privacy & Data Protection<br /><br />AI systems require vast amounts of health data, raising confidentiality concerns.<br /><br />Algorithmic Bias<br /><br />Models trained on unrepresentative data may yield biased or inaccurate results.<br /><br />Lack of Transparency<br /><br />Many AI algorithms act as “black boxes,” making their decision-making processes hard to interpret and trust.<br /><br />Integration with Existing Systems<br /><br />Healthcare institutions often struggle to incorporate AI into traditional IT infrastructures.<br /><br />Ethical & Legal Considerations<br /><br />Who is liable if an AI system errs? The physician, the developer, or the manufacturer?<br /><br />Real-World Case Studies<br />IBM Watson Health: Leveraged AI to analyze cancer patient data and suggest treatment options but faced accuracy issues, leading to setbacks in some medical centers.<br /><br />SkinVision: An AI-based app that examines moles for skin cancer risk, showing promising results in several studies.<br /><br />Conclusion<br />AI holds tremendous potential to enhance healthcare but is not a substitute for clinicians—rather, it is a powerful support tool. To fully realize its benefits, the field must address ethical, technical, and operational challenges to ensure AI is applied safely and effectively.<br /><br />Al-Mustaqbal University – The Premier University in Iraq<br/><br/><a href=https://uomus.edu.iq/En/Default.aspx target=_blank>The Official Website of Al‑Mustaqbal University</a>