Application of Artificial Intelligence in Otology: Past, Present, and Future

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a concept whose goal is to imitate human intellectual activity in computers. It emerged in the 1950s and has gone through three booms. We are in the third boom, and it will continue. Medical applications of AI include diagnosing otitis media from images of the eardrum, often outperforming human doctors. Temporal bone CT and MRI analyses also benefit from AI, with segmentation accuracy improved in anatomically significant structures or diagnostic accuracy improved in conditions such as otosclerosis and vestibular schwannoma. In treatment, AI predicts hearing outcomes for sudden sensorineural hearing loss and post-operative hearing outcomes for patients who have undergone tympanoplasty. AI helps patients with hearing aids hear in challenging situations, such as in noisy environments or when multiple people are speaking. It also provides fitting information to help improve hearing with hearing aids. AI also improves cochlear implant mapping and outcome prediction, even in cases of cochlear malformation. Future trends include generative AI, such as ChatGPT, which can provide medical advice and information, although its reliability and application in clinical settings requires further investigation.