AI, Eye Care Will Take Center Stage at AAO 2026

The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in eye care and in the way ophthalmologists and optometrists use it will be a heavy focus of the AAO 2026 annual meeting to be held in New Orleans, Louisiana, from October 10 to October 12, 2026.¹ The meeting will also feature several sessions dedicated to teaching those in attendance how to address cancer diagnoses in the eyes, will explain new guidelines, and will focus on other ophthalmic diagnoses, such as glaucoma and dry eye.

AAO 2026 will begin officially on the morning of October 10,² as the opening session will feature the distribution of several awards before the keynote address. The address, given by Robert M. Wachter, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, will discuss how generative AI will fit into health care in the future, offering the first glimpse of the meeting into how the new technology can better help doctors and physicians treat their patients, both in the US and around the world.

The conference will open after that, featuring several concurrent sessions on different areas of focus in ophthalmology. A session focusing on how to address ocular oncology in patients will occur on October 10. The session will feature several experts discussing targeted therapies for basal cell, squamous cell carcinomas, and uveal melanomas. The potential for precision medicine in retinoblastoma will also be touched on during the session.

Glaucoma will also be a big feature, as a session on October 10 plans to focus on ways that ophthalmologists can optimize their glaucoma care. The session will feature talks on how big data can help in glaucoma care, how minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) is chosen for each patient, and how to handle the complications of MIGS during and after the operation. The session seeks to help currently practicing ophthalmologists maximize their treatment of glaucoma for their patients.

Dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) will be touched on during an early session on October 11. The session will open with discussions on geographic atrophy, including a discussion on whether more clinical trial end points for geographic atrophy are needed and how to image for geographic atrophy. A pro vs con debate will feature in the middle of the session, with 2 experts discussing whether anti-complements should be used for addressing dry AMD. The debate will be preceded by a discussion on how anti-complements are currently being used, providing context for those in attendance. The session hopes to settle how to use them once and for all.

AI will continue to be a major topic during the conference, as a session held on October 11 seeks to cover how AI can be used to close equity gaps in ophthalmology. The session will also cover how AI can be used in global health as it pertains to ophthalmology.

Updates in both national and international policy guidelines will also be covered during the conference. The conference will conclude Saturday’s program with an update on Medicare coverage for 2027. The session will cover how reimbursement, coding, and quality reporting will be updated in the new year, helping ophthalmologists stay ahead of the changes as they seek to treat their Medicare beneficiaries. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines on cataract, refractive error, and diabetic retinopathy services will also be covered on October 12, with the session focusing on how to practically achieve the 2030 goals for expanding access, laid out by WHO.

The conference will conclude on Monday, October 12, after 3 full days of content throughout the weekend. With pertinent topics and much-needed updates in how to approach care, AAO 2026 promises to be an important resource for all currently practicing ophthalmologists and optometrists.

References

1. AAO 2026. AAO. Accessed October 7, 2026. https://www.aao.org/annual-meeting
2. Meeting Guide. AAO. Accessed October 7, 2026. https://www.aao.org/annual-meeting/mobile-meeting-guide