New York City-based NYC Health + Hospitals CEO Mitchell Katz, MD, said AI could replace a significant portion of radiology work, citing potential cost savings and expanded access, according to a March 31 Radiology Business report.
“We could replace a great deal of radiologists with AI at this moment, if we are ready to do the regulatory challenge,” Dr. Katz said during a March 25 panel hosted by Crain’s New York Business.
He pointed to the increasing use of AI in interpreting mammograms and X-rays and said the technology could help meet rising imaging demand. Under one model, AI could perform initial reads, with radiologists reviewing abnormal findings.
Radiology is one of the leading areas for AI adoption in healthcare. Of the more than 1,000 AI applications cleared by the FDA for use in medicine, about three-fourths are in radiology, where tools are primarily used to enhance image quality, flag abnormalities and automate routine tasks, according to a May 2025 report from The New York Times. Still, AI’s current role in radiology remains largely assistive rather than substitutive.
Other health system leaders echoed the potential for AI to take on a larger role in image interpretation, though broader debate in the field has raised concerns that AI-only reads could pose patient safety risks and are not yet capable of replacing clinical expertise.
New York has taken steps to expand oversight of AI. In December, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the RAISE Act, which established transparency and safety reporting requirements for AI developers and created a new state oversight framework to monitor risks tied to emerging technologies.
Lawmakers there are also considering additional guardrails. A bill introduced in the state Senate would impose liability on companies whose AI chatbots impersonate licensed professionals — including those in healthcare — and provide advice that could cause harm.
In a statement to Becker’s, NYC Health + Hospitals said AI would be used to expand access, not replace clinicians.
“One possibility is to leverage AI to increase access to services for low-income and uninsured patients who would otherwise miss them,” a spokesperson said. “Of course, we could only do this in partnership with our amazing staff of clinicians who are the heart of our healthcare system.”
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