AI won’t replace radiologists, but it will dramatically change their jobs

Radiology is expanding, with practitioner numbers projected to rise at least 26% over the next thirty years, while AI has become the field’s dominant technology, accounting for roughly 75% of the 1,400 FDA-cleared medical devices as of early 2026. AI tools now assist radiologists by drafting reports, flagging urgent images, and detecting abnormalities that can surpass human visual perception, exemplified by trials showing AI-assisted colonoscopies uncover more polyps than standard procedures.