Medical Imaging AI Software Is Vulnerable to Covert Attacks

There are many possible reasons that deep learning systems might be attacked for medical fraud, the researchers say. With eye images, they note insurers might want to reduce the rate of surgeries they have to pay for. With chest X-rays, they note companies running clinical trials might want to get the results they want, given that one 2017 study estimated the median revenues across individual cancer drugs was as high as $1.67 billion four years after approval. With skin photos, the researchers note that dermatology in the United States operates under a model wherein a physician or practice is paid for the procedures they perform, causing some dermatologists to perform a huge number of unnecessary procedures to boost revenue.