Second opinion? Google AI spots breast cancer more accurately than radiologists, in trial

mw hg mammog zh
Image: Andresr/iStock

Researchers at Google, working alongside experts at Northwestern University and three British medical institutions, have created an AI model that appears capable of more accurately spotting breast cancer in mammograms than human experts, according to a new study.

The AI model both detected cases of breast cancer at higher rates than radiologists and reported fewer false positives, according to the study, which was published on New Year’s Day in the high-caliber scientific journal Nature. The results held even when the algorithm was tested internationally, a hurdle that few AI tools have been capable of overcoming given how inconsistent datasets be across borders.

…

Clinicians fail to find about 20% of all breast cancers, according to the American Cancer Society. Meanwhile, about half of all American women getting yearly mammograms are, over the course of a decade, wrongly told they might have cancer when they are in fact disease-free.

…

AI may never replace human experts, at least in a field as nuanced and complex as breast cancer. Instead, such tools could be used as a kind of second opinion — something radiologists turn to as a means of guiding their initial interpretation of a breast scan.

Read full, original post: Google AI tool can pinpoint breast cancer better than clinicians, new study suggests

Related Articles

Infographic: Global regulatory and health research agencies on whether glyphosate causes cancer

Infographic: Global regulatory and health research agencies on whether glyphosate causes cancer

Does glyphosate—the world's most heavily-used herbicide—pose serious harm to humans? Is it carcinogenic? Those issues are of both legal and ...

Most Popular

Bayer Crop Circle in Golden Wheat
Making fertilizer from thin air: Bayer’s gene-editing innovation could dramatically cut chemical fertilizer use in growing food
Picture1
Viewpoint: How badly is the U.S. food-safety net fraying? FDA’s bungled handling of the tainted lettuce crisis deepens concerns over cuts to disease tracking and response
Screenshot-2026-11-03-at-12.31.18-PM
Gene editing once viewed with suspicion by UK  farmers, upwards of 90% now open to their sustainability benefits
Smiling-Woman-Over-Teal-Abstract-Shapes
Viewpoint: RFK Jr.’s latest foray into junk science: Even Kennedy’s hand-picked NIH director balks at appointment of crackpot mental health director
Neon Genome_ Fetal Dreamscape
The race to genetically engineer babies
Reaching Through the Woven Sky
Challenging genetic modification rejectionists: Our evolving food system has relied on science for thousands of years
Screenshot-2026-10-29-at-11.18.34-AM
Viewpoint: ‘Just the flu’: Skipping your child’s flu shot could be a fatal mistake
ChatGPT-Image-Mar-10-2026-01_39_01-PM
Viewpoint—“Miracle molecule” debunked: Why acemannan supplements don’t work
Screenshot-2026-11-02-at-11.34.28-AM
Farmers are collateral damage in the PFAS “forever chemicals” crossfire. Here’s what they need to know.
Glossy Plastic Bag of Tokens and Labels
Viewpoint: How CNN got played by environmental activists pushing a plastics scare and litigation agenda
Screenshot 2026-10-27 at 10.32
“Do your own research”: What Medicare’s annual open enrollment circus teaches us about the seductive trap of DIY health and science
Red and Green Embroidered Campaign Caps
Viewpoint: The fragile (and often bizarre) MAHA-MAGA-far left health-and-chemicals coalition is fracturing. Here’s why
Screenshot-2026-10-28-at-3.00.44-PM
Viewpoint: Activist attacks on corporations increasingly depend on "attribution" science to target oil companies for global climate change
glp menu logo outlined

Get news on human & agricultural genetics and biotechnology delivered to your inbox.