AI vs. MD

Microsoft recently unveiled an AI diagnostic system that scored four times higher than human doctors in identifying complex medical cases from the New England Journal of Medicine—a stunning benchmark, albeit in a highly-controlled setting. With speed, recall, and precision on its side, AI is quickly becoming a formidable force in clinical decision-making. But these tools aren’t infallible, and real-world medicine rarely mirrors textbook cases. As AI begins to shift from research labs to exam rooms, the stakes are growing: Who carries the liability when machines make mistakes? And what happens to trust, and the human touch, when your physician might be a program?