The future of endoscopy–what are the thoughts on artificial intelligence?

Abstract

There is an emerging role of artificial intelligence (AI) in endoscopy with studies on early systems showing promising results. However, various limitations inhibit widespread use. The aim of this study was to ascertain the sentiments of endoscopists and understand the benefits and barriers towards adoption of AI systems into healthcare. An anonymous online 18-question survey was disseminated to gastroenterology and surgical departments across UK. A total of 75 endoscopists completed the questionnaire. The majority felt that AI would increase adenoma detection rate (ADR) (72.8%) and aid lesion characterisation (78.6%). However, only a quarter of respondents were either moderately or very familiar with AI, and there was no consensus on necessity of AI in endoscopy. The key barriers identified were cost, accessibility and lack of guidelines. Endoscopists believe AI systems will have a positive impact on endoscopy; however, these systems must provide quality assurance through large clinical trials before adoption.