Artificial intelligence (AI) has made great contributions to the healthcare industry. However, its effect on medical diagnosis has not been well explored. Here, we examined a trial comparing the thinking process between a computer and a master in diagnosis at a clinical conference in Japan, with a focus on general diagnosis. Consequently, not only was AI unable to exhibit its thinking process, it also failed to include the final diagnosis. The following issues were highlighted: (1) input information to AI could not be weighted in order of importance for diagnosis; (2) AI could not deal with comorbidities (see Hickam's dictum); (3) AI was unable to consider the timeline of the illness (depending on the tool); (4) AI was unable to consider patient context; (5) AI could not obtain input information by themselves. This comparison of the thinking process uncovered a future perspective on the use of diagnostic support tools.
Keywords: artificial intelligence; decision support tool; diagnostic process.