It is almost impossible to avoid artificial intelligence (AI) today. It shows up at the top of our search engines. That is the headline for all other news. And now it enters the doctor’s office. From AI -Mammogram to Diagnose mystery diseasesThe AI technology runs the spectrum when it comes to potential healthcare services.
But what if I told you that the AI revolution would come for your eyes-that there was a world where the hours long eye examination could be done in minutes? Or that your diagnostic eye care questions can be answered in seconds? When the country is experiencing a nationwide ophthalmology deficiencyThe Can AI really help close the gap? We asked the experts to consider the future of AI and eye care.
Experts displayed in this article:
Wolf laughterMD is the head of the pediatric diabetes program at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and associate professor of pediatrics. Sally BaxterMD, is the spokesman for the American Academy of Opthalmology. Brian Boxer WachlerMD, is an ophthalmologist and medical reviewer at all about vision.
Ai Eye Tech is already making diagnoses
In addition to fully functioning AI glasses that are both prescription glasses and a virtual assistant, as Ray Ban’s Meta CollaborationAI swings in places to diagnose certain eye conditions. Take Luminetics Score, for example. The autonomous AI camera analyzes retina taken with a specific camera and can easily diagnose diabetic retinopathy (a condition that affects one in four people with diabetes) in real time. The diagnostic process does not require the presence of an MD or the enlargement of your eyes, explains Risa Wolf, MD, head of the pediatric diabetes program at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and associate professor of pediatrics. The FDA approved the camera in April 2018, and Dr. Wolf’s team has been using the technology ever since. Similar technology can be used at a primary care supplier’s office to diagnose other eye conditions, such as Age -related macular degenerationthe leading cause of vision for people over 50. There are also Some research is done with regard to the potential use of AI camera technology to diagnose glaucoma, an umbrella term for eye diseases that affect the optical nerve of the eyes and cause vision loss. TLDR: The future of AI Healthcare is already here and at medical offices when suppliers are looking for new ways to diagnose faster and efficient.
AI Chatbots also lends a hand
While AI cameras save opticians and ophthalmologists who work, AI chatbots also make progress in answering eye health questions. Ophthalmologists can use AI -follower chatbots like Doctor or Utter On their website for patients to announce to help them get information and answers to their common questions, which can take some pressure from their busy office staff. If it feels too good to be true, 2023 research published in the magazine Ophthalmology Testing of chatbots and ophthalmologists discovered that chatbots gave exact answers to 200 eye care questions. The actual ophthalmologists’ answers were more human sounding and detailed than Bot’s response, but the AI models still answered exactly. On one 2024 studyGoogle’s AI -Chatbots Bard and Gemini made 71 percent accuracy on practice ophthalmological board issues (ophthalmologists need one 70 percent or higher scores to pass the boards).
What experts really like about Ai Eye Care
There are pros and cons of each new technology, including AI Eye Care. On the one hand, for persons with diabetes who do not have visual insurance or insurance or fights to afford overallAI may be helpful by reducing the need for several doctors’ appointment. “Historically, for patients with diabetes, both type 1 and type 2, it is recommended that they receive an annual diabetic eye examination,” says Dr. Wolf. “But only about 50 percent of patients received these exams.” Many people with diabetes already see the endocrinologist between three and four times a year because a check has adjusted insulin, so it is good to get the annual diabetic retinopathy eye examination at the endocrinologist’s office in minutes.
AI can also help with the lack of ophthalmologists. Progress like those in Dr. Wolf’s research can help to deal with eye care gaps, especially in rural areas and among ethnically and racist marginalized communities (which may be more likely to get diabetic retinopathy, says Dr. Wolf).
That said, Ai Eye Care also has its limitations. While AI-based tools have succeeded in screening conditions such as diabetic retinopathy, for other common eye conditions, (such as myopia, foresight or astigmatism), AI Camera Photos can help with the diagnostic processBut do not replace an eye examination. And although AI can detect an eye condition, it cannot take the place for personal eye care to more evaluate treatment or eye care recipes, according to Sally Baxter, MD, spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. AI, especially chatbots, may also have bias and errors.
Chatbots has managed to provide accurate information on eye conditions, infections and operations. But they do not replace a doctor’s sense of expertise. “Although it is possible for AI to provide patient-specific feedback, the medical legal aspect of a non-doctor who is not the patient’s physician who provides medical advice will be on vision.
AI can also be biased. According to research presented by American Academy of ophthalmologyAI chatbots, when asked for recommendations for ophthalmologists in the patient’s area, female ophthalmologists recommended less than 2 percent of the time – in reality, 27 percent of ophthalmologists in the United States are women. Dr. Baxter was part of one study It used chatgpt to identify eye care diagnoses. “While the chatbot determined the correct diagnosis in almost 90 percent of cases, there were still errors where the chatbot created hallucinations and generated false information,” Dr. Baxter.
AI can also damage the environment and more energy efficient models must be done. Researchers appreciate That even a chatgpt session can use as much as half a liter of water to cool the computer system with AI. Dr. Baxter predicts that there will be more innovation in AI models that require less energy in the future.
“Similarly, doctors and patients will have important roles to inform which applications and use cases are the most important and highest priority,” adds Dr. Baxter.
TLDR: AI enters almost all aspects of our lives. But “sometimes just because you Can Do something with AI does not mean that you bark“Says Dr. Baxter. AI should be treated as a limited resource and can be considered an assistant for ophthalmologists. It will not replace your ophthalmologist completely, but it can be nice (and beneficial) to have an extra pair of eyes.
Mara Santilli is a PS contributor, freelance writer and editor who specializes in reproductive health, wellness, politics and the intersection between them, whose printed and digital work has emerged in Marie Claire, Glamor, Women’s Health, Self, Cosmopolitan and more.
