The AI will see you now

This article is part of the Global Policy Lab: Decoding Cancer. BERLIN -- When a woman gets a mammogram in Europe, it's standard practice virtually everywhere for two radiologists to take a look at the X-rays to check for signs of breast cancer. Soon that second opinion could come from a computer. A range of private companies around the world, from small startups to global tech behemoths, are developing software that uses artificial intelligence to analyze medical images -- a field that has been the domain of radiologists since German engineer Wilhelm Röntgen discovered X-rays in 1895. Advances in the field mean computers will be able to spot irregularities in medical images and make independent decisions on whether or not a second physician needs to take a look at the scan.