Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a buzzword in radiology, it’s a clinical reality reshaping how imaging is performed, interpreted, and acted upon. In breast health especially, AI is moving beyond pilot projects into practical applications that enhance precision, reduce delays, and empower providers to make better decisions. Dr. Dana Bonaminio, Director of Breast Imaging at Ascension St. Thomas, explains during our women’s health panel discussion, Healthcare, Focused on HER:

“Artificial intelligence is the big buzzword in the clinical world right now, especially in imaging… Radiologists plus AI is ultimately where this will go.”

That framing, “Radiologists + AI” is critical. The future isn’t about replacing radiologists but amplifying their expertise with technology that strengthens both detection and decision-making.

 

Radiologists + AI: A Better Second Reader, Not a Replacement

In breast imaging, small differences matter. The subtle shading that suggests early-stage cancer might be overlooked by even the most experienced eye when fatigue or heavy caseloads set in. AI’s role here is not to supplant human judgment but to act as a secondary reader – flagging areas of interest, highlighting density, and confirming suspicious findings.

This augmentation improves diagnostic confidence. It also allows radiologists to focus on the most complex cases while relying on AI to catch subtleties across high-volume screenings. Importantly, patients and providers benefit from earlier detection, fewer false negatives, and more streamlined workflows. As Dr. Bonaminio notes, the future may hold even more sophisticated applications:

“AI has potential not only to analyze images but also to help assess risk, giving us new insights into a woman’s likelihood of developing breast cancer based on imaging itself.”

 

Image-Based Risk Scoring: The Next Wave in Personalized Screening

Traditional risk models rely on questionnaires, family history, and known risk factors. While valuable, they can miss nuances or leave out the patients whose history is incomplete. AI-driven image analysis offers a complementary layer, extracting risk signals directly from mammographic data.

Imagine a system that, in addition to detecting potential lesions, generates a personalized risk score from the mammogram itself. Such scores could be combined with genetic testing, family history, and lifestyle data to create truly individualized screening plans.

For clinical executives and data science teams, this next wave raises critical questions:

  • Governance: Who oversees algorithmic validation and updates?
  • Bias: How do we ensure training data represents diverse populations and doesn’t reinforce disparities?
  • Integration: How do we embed risk scores into existing EHR and imaging workflows without overwhelming providers?

Handled well, image-based risk scoring can move breast health into the era of precision prevention, ensuring that patients at higher risk are screened earlier and more often, while avoiding unnecessary procedures for those at lower risk.

 

Operational Wins from AI in Breast Imaging

Beyond clinical impact, AI is beginning to deliver tangible operational benefits. Imaging centers face increasing demand with limited staff, seasonal bottlenecks, and patient no-shows that erode efficiency. AI tools can help balance workloads and streamline operations in several ways:

  • Managing backlogs: AI triage can help prioritize which studies need immediate review, reducing turnaround times.
  • Winter scheduling: As Dr. Bonaminio points out, the fall season is traditionally overwhelmed with mammogram appointments due to Breast Cancer Awareness Month. AI-driven scheduling models can help redistribute demand into less crowded months like January, smoothing utilization.
  • Recall management: Automating reminders and stratifying recalls based on AI-supported risk can improve follow-up compliance, ensuring fewer patients fall through the cracks.

For imaging centers, these wins translate into greater throughput, better patient experiences, and more sustainable workloads for radiologists.

 

Moving Forward: AI as a Force Multiplier

The consensus from leaders in women’s health is clear: AI is not a threat to radiology, it’s a force multiplier. When framed as “Radiologists + AI,” the technology enhances clinical accuracy, personalizes risk assessment, and delivers operational efficiencies that benefit patients, providers, and payers alike.

But success depends on responsible adoption. That means rigorous validation, ethical use of patient data, transparency in risk scoring, and ongoing advocacy to ensure equitable access to these tools.

As breast imaging continues to evolve, AI offers a powerful opportunity: to detect earlier, act smarter, and operate more effectively, all while keeping the radiologist at the center of care.