Dear AuntMinnie Member,
CHICAGO - RSNA 2016 is coming to a close, and as always radiology's annual get-together on the shores of Lake Michigan provided key insights into the direction of the specialty.
As noted in past years, the RSNA conference has mirrored the ongoing shift of radiology and healthcare to digital operations. Software now predominates over hardware on the exhibit floor, and in presentation rooms and poster exhibits presenters discussed imaging informatics-based solutions to the discipline's thorniest problems.
But a new technology has arisen at RSNA 2016, one that radiologists are viewing with some trepidation: artificial intelligence (AI). Vendors large and small demonstrated machine-learning tools that they say are designed to assist radiologists, but some believe they could pose a threat by taking over the interpretation of many imaging studies.
Most experts believe that won't happen; AI will be a servant to radiologists, rather than a master. But however things sort out, it appears that radiology is on the verge of a new era that could radically change how radiologists do their jobs.
Our RADCast @ RSNA special section includes a number of articles on AI and radiology, as well as myriad other topics presented this week. We hope you've enjoyed the coverage -- safe travels!
