Radiologists report relatively few ‘meaningful’ benefits from breast imaging AI
Hannah Murphy|August 11, 2026|Radiology Business|Artificial Intelligence
The adoption of artificial intelligence in breast imaging settings is rapidly increasing, but very few radiologists report that it has provided any meaningful clinical benefits so far.
That’s according to new survey data published this week in Clinical Imaging. The study, based on a survey of Society of Breast Imaging members, evaluated radiologists’ adoption of FDA-cleared breast cancer detection AI tools, their perceptions of the technology and its reported clinical impact. The responses suggest that although these tools have improved certain aspects of breast cancer screening, the benefits have not yet translated to improved outcomes or financial gains.
“Despite the encouraging results of AI cancer detection tools, the real-world implementation remains limited,” Azadeh Elmi, with the department of radiology, breast imaging division, at UC San Diego Health, and colleagues noted. “While some radiologists use AI daily, only a minority consider its contribution decisive, a finding reinforced by the EuroAIM/EuSoMII 2024 survey, in which nearly half of respondents use AI, yet few report meaningful workload reduction, and many anticipate no change or an increase.”
Of the 215 respondents, around half were practicing for an organization that had already implemented AI breast cancer detection tools, while another 11% indicated they were in the process of doing so. Among those who had not yet implemented AI in practice, cost was cited as the most significant barrier. The majority of respondents perceived AI tools to be most suited for the role of a second reader; non-AI users detailed assumptions regarding improved recall rates, while the actual recall rates were reduced by around 35% for current AI users. A similar finding was observed with respect to biopsy rates, though unnecessary biopsies only dropped by about 9% for current users.
Another finding highlights how rads feel about AI’s impact on burnout. Non-users were more optimistic, with 56% signaling they believed the technology could help reduce workplace exhaustion, while 29.4% of current users reported notable impacts on burnout.
“Our findings indicate that while radiologists generally support the integration of breast cancer detection AI tools—reflected in high satisfaction, comfort, and a preference for their use as a second reader—perceived clinical impact among AI users was more modest than anticipated, with only a minority reporting improvement in callback rate, biopsy rate, or burnout,” the group concluded. “Theses preliminary observations suggest the need for continued refinement and further validation of breast cancer detection AI tools to achieve a meaningful impact on clinical practice.”
Hannah Murphy, Editor
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021
