Worried about AI replacing your job? This job has become the ultimate case study for why it won’t

Want to understand how artificial intelligence could change your job? Look to radiology as a clue.

Radiology has become a recent talking point in the AI race. It was mentioned multiple times last month by tech executives at the World Economic Forum in Davos as well as in a White House whitepaper about AI and the economy.

Radiology is far from being the only occupation impacted by AI, which is gradually integrating into the work of software engineers, teachers and even plumbers, among many others. If widely adopted, Goldman Sachs estimates that advancements related to AI could displace 6 to 7% of the US workforce, although the technology is expected to create new jobs too.

But the radiology field has become a case study for how AI could enhance, and not replace, jobs. The type of work in radiology is also ideal for AI assistance, said Dr. Po-Hao Chen, a doctor specializing in diagnostic radiology at the Cleveland Clinic.

Radiology has plenty of available data for AI research and applications, which need copious amounts of data for training. AI can parse through troves of data much more quickly than human workers can, and it is already helping to speed up certain processes in radiology — for example, figuring out which scans need immediate attention.

But human physicians are still required to do the bulk of the work – like making diagnoses, physically examining patients and writing reports. And radiology jobs are projected to grow faster than roles in other areas as the field continues to embrace the tech.

“(AI) is not only not replacing those workers, but it’s actually increasing the amount of work they can do and increasing demand for their services,” said Jack Karsten, a research fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology. “That’s sort of a…

Source