Artificial Intelligence and the Reconfiguration of Modern Medicine: A Thirty-Year Outlook

Abstract

Today, artificial intelligence has become one of the practical tools in the health system and is considered an effective element in clinical decision-making, healthcare management, and effective communication between patients and clinicians. This review examines the evolution of smart medical technologies from the first expert-based systems to recent achievements in the field of deep learning, advanced language models, and predictive algorithms. Our study also outlines how the development of this technology has influenced diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in areas such as surgery, pathology, and remote care systems. In the present study, the changing role of medical staff when using smart systems, the need to review educational models and the requirement to provide standard infrastructures for data collection are discussed. Legal and ethical challenges, including liability, algorithmic bias, and the risk of widening health disparities globally, are also examined. In addition, the lack of coordination among regulatory bodies to develop a new standard framework which is considered a major obstacle to the comprehensive development of AI-based care, especially in developing countries is discussed. On the other hand, serious warnings about behaviors such as automation bias, which may lead to a decline in clinical skills and possible errors in AI systems, are reviewed. Finally, it is emphasized that the future prospects of AI-based tools and the necessary adaptations to promote the future success of medical systems depend on fundamental education, comprehensive and fair policy-making, and the responsible deployment of technical models. Thus, it can be concluded that the realization of intelligent and convergent medicine requires maintaining a balance between ethical-human values and technological advancements.