AI 'mirages' mean tools used to analyze medical scans could fabricate their findings

A bald man with clear glasses wearing a white lab coat and stethoscope looks at a holographic blue and orange image of a leg and leg bone.

Researchers have been training artificial intelligence (AI) systems to interpret results of visual tests like mammograms, MRIs and tissue biopsies — and as AI becomes increasingly capable, some analysts have suggested that these models will replace humans in the field of medical diagnostics.

But now, a new study casts doubt on the capability of current AI models to deliver reliable results, highlighting a crucial flaw that could hinder their use in medicine.