Hospitals Are a Proving Ground for What AI Can Do, and What It Can’t

Samir Abboud, chief of emergency radiology for Northwestern Medicine, thought he was already working at maximum speed. In a carefully honed routine, aided by voice dictation, he could finish writing an X-ray report in as little as 75 seconds.

Then the Chicago-based health system rolled out generative artificial intelligence in 2024 that can analyze patient scans and write reports. Abboud, who checks the AI work for potential changes, said reviews have sped up to about 45 seconds.