AI’s Promise in Ophthalmology Comes With Responsibilities: Ravi D. Goel, MD

Artificial intelligence (AI) is beginning to move from novelty to everyday practice in ophthalmology, a field that may be especially well suited to benefit from the technology, according to Ravi D. Goel, MD, an ophthalmologist based in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and volunteer faculty at Wills Eye Hospital.

Clinics routinely collect technical information through exams such as optical coherence tomography and visual fields, creating substantial data that can support clinical insights. At the same time, an aging population is expected to increase demand for eye care, while the profession faces a potential future undersupply of providers.

In the clinic, Ambient AI is already helping him spend less time on the computer and more time focused on patients. By capturing information from visits, these tools may support care and surface useful information. Data analytics can also reveal patterns that clinicians may not have anticipated, including insights about quality of care and complications.

The promise comes with responsibility. Serving as chair of the Academy’s delegation to the American Medical Association, Goel helps shape policy intended to protect patients, their data, and the quality of care. Health care AI must comply with HIPAA and put patient safety first. Reliable implementation also requires scrutiny of the data used to build and evaluate systems.

Equity is another central concern. A dataset that does not reflect the people affected by a disease can leave gaps in performance and care. Goel points to glaucoma and macular degeneration as conditions where population representation matters, drawing a parallel to concerns in dermatology and skin cancer research. Equity, he argues, must be demonstrated in practice, not simply invoked as a principle.

Goel also cautions against AI hallucinations and emphasizes validating data for accuracy and usefulness. For ophthalmology, the goal is not adopting technology for its own sake. It is to ensure that AI tools produce dependable insights, support clinicians, and improve patient care and clinical outcomes for every patient.