The Joint Yale-George Washington Seminar Series: "Biomedical AI: Its Roots, Evolution, and Agenda for the Future"

Five decades have passed in the evolution of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (AIM), a field that has evolved substantially while tracking the corresponding changes in computer science, hardware technology, communications, and biomedicine. Emerging from medical schools and computer science departments in its early years, the AIM field is now more visible and influential than ever before, paralleling the enthusiasm and accomplishments of AI and data science more generally. This talk will briefly summarize some of AIM history, providing an update on the status of the field as we enter our second half-century. The inherent complexity of medicine and of clinical care necessitates that we address not only decision-making performance but also issues of usability, workflow, transparency, safety, and the pursuit of persuasive results from formal clinical trials. These requirements contribute to an ongoing investigative agenda for AIM research and development.

Dr. Shortliffe is preeminent in the biomedical informatics field, having over 380 publications, including landmark publications on MYCIN which supported antibiotic selection, and other essential, foundational topics. Dr. Shortliffe is the Chair Emeritus and Adjunct Professor of the Department of Biomedical Informatics at Columbia University, Adjunct Professor at Arizona State University and Weill Cornell Medical College, and has held many academic and institutional positions, including President and CEO of AMIA.