Navigating the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution in radiology: a practical guide to medical-legal and ethical imperatives for the practising radiologist.
Authors
Affiliations (4)
Affiliations (4)
- Department of Radiology, Lakesmit and Partners, Busamed Gateway Private Hospital, Umhlanga Ridge, 36/38 Aurora Drive, Durban, South Africa. Electronic address: [email protected].
- Department of Neurology, Netcare The Bay Hospital, 6 Kruger Rand, Richards Bay KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.
- College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
- Department of Radiology and Molecular Imaging, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, University Medical City, Muscat, Oman.
Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) is now routinely integrated into radiology workflows, including worklist prioritisation, image interpretation, quantification, and reporting support. While these tools may improve efficiency and diagnostic performance, they introduce important medicolegal challenges for radiologists in relation to professional responsibility, liability, informed disclosure, data governance, and algorithmic bias. This review examines the medicolegal implications of AI use in radiology from a UK practice perspective, while acknowledging the influence of European and international regulatory frameworks. We outline how established principles of medical negligence and consent apply to AI-assisted imaging, and discuss the respective responsibilities of radiologists, healthcare organisations, and manufacturers. Key ethical and regulatory issues, including data protection, bias, and performance drift, are considered in the context of real-world clinical deployment. Finally, we propose two practical frameworks (INFORMED and RECORDS) to support defensible AI adoption through appropriate validation, human oversight, documentation, and audit. The aim is to provide radiologists with pragmatic guidance for integrating AI into clinical practice in a manner that is safe, transparent, and legally robust.