Advances in artificial intelligence are opening up the possibility of significant advances in breast cancer screening by uncovering clues doctors don’t see.

So far, the technology is showing an impressive ability to detect cancer as well as radiologists (according to preliminary results and radiologists), showing how AI can improve public health.

Hungary, which has a strong breast cancer screening program, is one of the largest testing grounds for testing the technology on real patients. At five hospitals and clinics that perform more than 35,000 x-rays a year, AI systems have been implemented since 2021 and are now helping to detect signs of cancer that a radiologist might have missed.

Clinics and hospitals in the US, UK and European Union are also starting to test or provide data to help develop systems.

Built on a similar form of artificial intelligence used by chatbots modeled after the human brain, breast cancer screening technology demonstrates other ways in which artificial intelligence can penetrate everyday life.

According to doctors and AI developers, the widespread use of cancer detection technology still faces many obstacles. More clinical trials will be required before the systems become more widely used as an automated second or third screening tool for mammograms.

The tool must also show that it can produce accurate results for women of all ages, nationalities, and body types. And the technology must prove it can detect more complex forms of breast cancer and reduce false positives that are not cancerous, radiologists say.

Radiologists losing their jobs?

AI tools have also sparked controversy over whether they will replace human radiologists, as tech makers have faced scrutiny from regulators and resistance from some physicians and medical institutions.

For now, these concerns seem exaggerated, with many experts saying the technology will only be effective and trusted by patients if it is used in collaboration with trained physicians.

Ultimately, artificial intelligence can save lives, says the Hungarian. Laszlo Tambar, Europe’s leading mammography screening instructor, said he was won over by the technology after reviewing its effectiveness in breast cancer screening from multiple vendors.

“I dream of the day when women will come to a breast cancer center and ask, ‘Do you have AI or not?’,” she said.