ROLE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELIGENCE IN MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS (A CASE OF STUDY OF BIRNIN KEBBI METROPOLIS)

The advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has greatly impacted multiple industries, including healthcare. This research examines the adoption, use, and effects of AI-powered technologies in medical diagnostics within healthcare facilities. Using a structured questionnaire distributed among healthcare professionals-ranging from medical doctors and radiologists to laboratory technologists and IT specialists—the study investigates levels of awareness, the extent of AI integration, perceived benefits, and challenges. The findings reveal that while awareness of AI is notably high (80%) among healthcare professionals, actual integration into diagnostic processes remains moderate, with most institutions reporting minimal to moderate usage. AI applications are predominantly found in radiology (70%) and laboratory diagnostics (40%), where tasks such as image analysis and pattern recognition benefit greatly from AI tools. The adoption of AI has led to improvements in diagnostic accuracy (65%) and workflow efficiency (70%), positively impacting patient outcomes. Despite these benefits, significant barriers persist, including concerns about data privacy and security (60%), high costs (55%), and inadequate training (50%). Nonetheless, the overall perception of AI is largely positive, with most respondents supporting its further adoption. The study concludes that institutions should make strategic investments in training healthcare professionals, upgrading technological infrastructure, and strengthening data security to fully realize the benefits of AI and overcome current hurdles.