Artificial Intelligence: Medical and Legal Implications and Risk Mitigation Strategies for Plastic Surgeons

As artificial intelligence (AI) has become widely accessible, physicians and patients increasingly turn to AI for personal and professional uses. Whether or not you use AI in your practice, other physicians use it in ways that affect you and your patients, and so do cybercriminals. It is incumbent upon plastic surgeons and their staff to educate themselves about the potential advantages of AI, as well as potential medical and legal liabilities related to it. This article highlights the ways AI is increasingly employed in plastic surgical practice, discusses potential liabilities plastic surgeons (even those not actively using AI) should be aware of, and proposes risk-reduction strategies to safeguard patients, plastic surgeons, and practices.