American College of Radiology initiative seeks to improve transparency among AI vendors

An American College of Radiology initiative is seeking to improve transparency among artificial intelligence vendors.

The ACR Data Science Institute’s “AI Central” allows physicians to select algorithms that have been vetted for performance. Participating manufacturers will receive a “Transparent AI” badge on their listings within the program website, with several companies already committing to the process.

“The Transparent-AI program asks manufacturers to disclose detailed product information, including training data demographics and machine specifications aimed at increasing transparency in imaging AI algorithms," Keith Dreyer, DO, PhD, chief science officer of the institute, said in a Nov. 20 announcement. “This initiative is ongoing and seeks to assist radiology practices in selecting products tailored to their specific requirements and local populations.”

To date, eight vendors have participated in the program. They include GE HealthCare, Siemens Healthineers, Whiterabbit.ai, Therapixel, Aidoc, AIRS Medical, Coretechs.ai, and Qure.ai. ACR first launched AI Central in 2018, since then growing to become the largest searchable online directory of commercially available imaging-related products in the U.S.

The college also is offering vendors an “AI Central Pro” designation, allowing them to add more product info and contact information into the directory.

Marty Stempniak

Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic. 

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