If you're a classic rock fan, you may remember an old Eric Clapton tune called "It's In The Way That You Use It", which seems to be an apt description for the pros and cons of technology that relies on rapidly developing, and ever more frequently-deployed Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools.

Over the past few months, I've talked to college professors who are concerned about their students cheating, cybersecurity experts who worry that it will fuel criminal activity and disinformation that could be very bad for democracy, and a well known Akron attorney and former law professor, discussing the complete folly of using it to write accurate, reality-based legal briefs. 

But, I've also talked to a Purdue University researcher working on advanced, new, AI-powered thermal imaging for the defense and automotive industries, and today; to Cleveland Clinic Radiologist, Dr. Brian Xavier, about how AI is helping them more easily and accurately detect breast cancer in cases which even in the recent past using older technology, may never have been discovered.

So indeed, whether AI is a boon to society, or the potential bane of our existence, seems to depend–at least so far– entirely on the way that you use it.

Today, during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month; we're focusing on the positive.

Dr. Brian Xavier, Cleveland Clinic