Artificial Intelligence in Radiotherapy: A Philosophical Perspective

The increasing uptake of machine learning solutions for segmentation and planning leaves no doubt that artificial intelligence (AI) will soon be providing input into a range of radiotherapy procedures. Although this promises to deliver increased speed and accuracy, the future role of AI in relation to radiotherapy should be thought through carefully. There is currently a gap between published developments and widespread adoption, which provides some space to prepare the workforce and to consider the implications on practice. It is rare to find philosophical input into a medical journal, but the advent of AI makes this perspective increasingly important. Philosophical insight can help explore the potential impact of AI, in particular, on human creativity and oversight. Without this perspective, we run the risk of focusing solely on the immediate logistical impact on patients and departments. This commentary identifies three key aspects of radiotherapy that the authors feel would suffer most under AI control: creativity, innovation, and patient safety, which all demand uniquely human attributes. The article also provides insight from a philosophical perspective with regard to human consciousness, ethics, and empathy. Philosophically we should, perhaps, retain ethical concerns about the widening role of AI in radiotherapy beyond simple quantitative interpretation and image processing. As developments continue, we have time to determine how our roles will evolve and to establish a framework for ensuring appropriate human input into patient care. Most importantly, we must start to embed a philosophical approach to adoption of AI technology from the outset if we are to prepare ourselves for the challenge that lies ahead.