Ep. 191 AI in Laryngology: Enhancing Patient Diagnosis with Dr. Anthony Law

Artificial Intelligence (AI) already powers search results and chat bots, but what if it could help physicians diagnose cancer? In this episode of the BackTable ENT podcast, laryngologist Dr. Anthony Law of Emory University discusses applications of AI to laryngology with host Dr. Ashley Agan and guest host Dr. Mihir Patel, also of Emory. --- CHECK OUT OUR SPONSOR PearsonRavitz https://pearsonravitz.com/backtable --- SYNPOSIS First, Dr. Law discusses how he connects his passions for laryngology and machine learning as a surgeon-scientist. Before opening the conversation, he defines terms needed to understand AI in medicine. Then, he discusses his work using deep learning models to identify laryngeal cancer patients based on voice recordings. Ideally, he envisions deploying his model (which is over 90% accurate) to help primary care physicians make timely ENT referrals. Mindful of the impact technology has, Dr. Law reviews technical and ethical concerns accompanying use of AI in medicine, which include underrepresented patient groups in research, patient privacy, and safe use of technology. Finally, he offers insight into the future of AI research more broadly. --- TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Introduction 04:18 - Understanding Deep Neural Networks 07:13 - Applications of AI in Clinical Practice 15:08 - Data Security and Privacy Concerns 25:09 - Collecting Representative Data 31:13 - Biometrics: The Future of Medicine? 39:12 - Challenges & Costs of AI 42:26 - Final Thoughts & Future Directions --- RESOURCES Pearson Ravitz https://pearsonravitz.com/ Dr. Anthony Law’s Emory University Profile: https://winshipcancer.emory.edu/profiles/law-anthony.php Dr. Anthony Law Lab: https://anthonylaw2.wixsite.com/website “What Our Voice Reveals About Our Health,” Dr. Anthony Law at TedxAtlanta: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J2W5IVCECE