FROM STETHOSCOPES TO SUPERCOMPUTERS: AI'S TRANSFORMATIVE ROLE IN HEALTHCARE

The transformation of healthcare from conventional diagnostic methods to sophisticated computational systems signifies a notable paradigm shift. Artificial Intelligence (AI), which includes Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL), has emerged as a revolutionary force capable of mimicking human intelligence to analyze intricate multi-omic, clinical, and behavioral datasets. This narrative review seeks to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages linked to the incorporation of AI into healthcare, emphasizing potential biases, transparency, data privacy, and safety risks, while examining the current state of AI implementation in medical institutions. A systematic literature review was performed, focusing on peer-reviewed studies that connect AI, ethics, and health. A thematic analysis was utilized to consolidate findings from academic databases, concentrating on eligibility criteria that excluded non-English and non-peer-reviewed content to guarantee high-quality evidence synthesis. The results reveal that AI adoption is swiftly increasing across various fields, including diagnostic imaging, predictive analytics, personalized medicine, and drug discovery. Nevertheless, significant challenges remain concerning data provenance and confidentiality. The rise of third-party datasets presents risks to traditional de-identification methods, and "hasty generalization" in ML models can reinforce systemic biases if algorithms are trained on non-representative data. While technologies such as blockchain provide potential solutions for data integrity and patient ownership, ethical issues related to insurance discrimination and the "black box" nature of complex correlation patterns continue to be critical obstacles. AI signifies a fundamental change in medical practice, presenting the opportunity to improve patient outcomes and institutional efficiency. To ensure responsible implementation, future initiatives must concentrate on enhancing model transparency, guaranteeing data interoperability, and establishing strong regulatory frameworks that align technological innovation with ethical standards.