A series of studies, starting as a steady drip and quickening to a deluge, has reported the same core finding amid the global spread of COVID-19: Artificial intelligence could analyze chest images to accurately detect the disease in legions of untested patients.
Casey Ross writes in STAT that the results promised a ready solution to the shortage of diagnostic testing in the U.S. and some other countries and triggered splashy press releases and a cascade of hopeful headlines. But in recent days, the initial burst of optimism has given way to an intensifying debate over the plausibility of building AI systems during an unprecedented public health emergency.