The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Improving Patient Outcomes and Reducing Healthcare Disparities

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as one of the most transformative forces in modern healthcare, reshaping the ways in which medical professionals diagnose diseases, plan treatments, and manage healthcare systems. Broadly defined, AI refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines capable of learning, reasoning, and self-correction (Rob, 2025). Within the healthcare domain, AI encompasses several subfields, notably machine learning (ML) , natural language processing (NLP) , and computer vision . Machine learning enables systems to detect complex patterns in large datasets, making it instrumental in predictive analytics, medical imaging, and drug discovery (Fatin, 2026). NLP, in turn, allows computers to interpret and generate human language, facilitating the analysis of unstructured medical records, clinical notes, and patient interactions. Meanwhile, computer vision equips algorithms to interpret medical images such as X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs with accuracy approaching — and sometimes exceeding — that of human specialists.