Geoffrey Hinton admits he was wrong about AI replacing radiologists — and explains why
Afinetheorem · x · 2026-09-07
Geoffrey Hinton reflects on his famous 2016 prediction that within 5 years radiologists would stop reading scans, and admits he was wrong, giving two reasons:
- Making scans cheaper and faster didn't mean hospitals needed fewer radiologists — they simply did more scans.
- He admits he didn't really understand the job itself; his mental image came mostly from one former student who spent his time reading scans and barely talked to people.
He notes the AI part actually went close to plan — machines did get very good at reading scans. But making one part of a job cheaper doesn't automatically shrink the profession.
Related event: AI Godfather Hinton Admits His Radiologist Prediction Was Wrong(4 posts)→
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