United States newspaper and online media coverage of artificial intelligence and radiology from 1998 to 2023

Objective: To evaluate the frequency and content of media coverage pertaining to artificial intelligence (AI) and radiology in the United States from 1998 to 2023.

Methods: The ProQuest US Newsstream database was queried for print and online articles mentioning AI and radiology published between January 1, 1998, and March 30, 2023. A Boolean search using terms related to radiology and AI was used to retrieve full text and publication information. One of 9 readers with radiology expertise independently reviewed randomly assigned articles using a standardized scoring system.

Results: 379 articles met inclusion criteria, of which 290 were unique and 89 were syndicated articles. Most had a positive sentiment (74 %) towards AI, while negative sentiment was far less common (9 %). Frequency of positive sentiment was highest in articles with a focus on AI and radiology (86 %) and lowest in articles focusing on AI and non-medical topics (55 %). The net impact of AI on radiology was most commonly presented as positive (60 %). Benefits of AI were more frequently mentioned (76 %) than potential harms (46 %). Radiologists were interviewed or quoted in less than one-third of all articles.

Conclusion: Portrayal of the impact of AI on radiology in US media coverage was mostly positive, and advantages of AI were more frequently discussed than potential risks. However, articles with a general non-medical focus were more likely to have a negative sentiment regarding the impact of AI on radiology than articles with a more specific focus on medicine and radiology. Radiologists were infrequently interviewed or quoted in media coverage.