Current developments from Silicon Valley : how artificial intelligence is changing gynecology and obstetrics

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become an omnipresent topic in the media. Lively discussions are being held on how AI could revolutionize the global healthcare landscape. The development of innovative AI models, including in the medical sector, is increasingly dominated by large high-tech companies. As a global technology epicenter, Silicon Valley hosts many of these technological giants which are muscling their way into healthcare provision with their advanced technologies. The annual conference of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) was held in San Francisco from 17 – 19 May 2024. ACOG celebrated its AI premier, hosting two sessions on current AI topics in gynecology at their annual conference. This paper provides an overview of the topics discussed and permits an insight into the thinking in Silicon Valley, showing how technology companies grow and fail there and examining how our American colleagues perceive increased integration of AI in gynecological and obstetric care. In addition to the classification of various, currently popular AI terms, the article also presents three areas where artificial intelligence is being used in gynecology and looks at the current developmental status in the context of existing obstacles to implementation and the current digitalization status of the German healthcare system.