In the last couple of decades, dermatology has embraced various new dimensions with progress in dermatoscopy, skin imaging technique, immune-dermatology, laser and esthetic dermatology. Advances in technology and new inventions in rapid diagnostics are also revolutionizing how dermatologists approach patient care. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a term used to describe machine software that can mimic human cognitive functions, such as learning and problem-solving. Machine learning achieves this via changes in the program algorithm that allow it to complete tasks more efficiently.[1] AI research in the field of dermatology is advancing rapidly. Cutaneous lesion classification is an especially active area of research as computational approaches have recently achieved dermatologist-level diagnostic accuracy for melanoma.[2] However, the basic knowledge of AI and its potential use in the specialty, is to date lacking amongst practicing dermatologists in India. In this context, the editorial team of the Indian Journal of Dermatology (IJD) thought a symposium on AI may be a need of the hour.
When the editorial team of the IJD approached me with a suggestion to be the editor of the symposium on AI, to be published in this esteemed journal, I felt delighted and grateful for rightly selecting an upcoming and challenging subject. Entrusted with this daunting task, I decided to take the help of the Editor of the Indian Journal of Dermatology, and with his experienced insight, we could manage to approach different experts across globe, from India, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. We also needed to look beyond our specialty, dermatology, and involve mathematical scientists who are working in the field of AI and machine learning with biomedical applications.
The present symposium discussed in four articles the terminologies and basic principles of AI and machine learning; what are the possible uses and ethical challenges of AI; mobile-based application technologies in dermatology and what could be the future of machine learning in the field of medicine.
In a nutshell, emerging technologies have the power to augment and revolutionize dermatology practice. Practicing dermatologists should not view the advent of technologies as a threat to their craft; rather in the coming years, AI-based technologies are highly likely to be incorporated in a way that works for their practice, leading to increased efficiency and improved patient outcome.
References
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- 2.Esteva A, Kuprel B, Novoa RA, Ko J, Swetter SM, Blau HM, et al. Dermatologist-level classification of skin cancer with deep neural networks. Nature. 2017;542:115–8. doi: 10.1038/nature21056. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]