Editorial Commentary: Artificial Intelligence in Sports Medicine Diagnosis Needs to Improve.

Abstract

From imaging interpretation and health monitoring to drug development, the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine has increased. But AI is not ready to replace humans when it comes to the diagnosis of sports medicine conditions. Rather, in highly specialized fields such as sports medicine, when it comes to interpretation of diagnostic studies such as magnetic resonance imaging scans (that are more sophisticated than simple radiographs), experts outperform AI systems at present. Key features of clinical practice, such as the physical examination, in-person consultation, and ultimately, decision making, cannot be easily replaced. As every novel "smart" tool is incorporated into our lives, we need to be ready to embrace its use, but we also ought to be critical of its implementation and seek transparency at every step of the process. We cannot afford to see AI as an antagonistic element in our practices but rather as a valuable assistant that could someday improve diagnostic accuracy.