PITTSBURGH -- AI may not take radiologists’ place in medicine, but radiologists should embrace changes that AI brings to their practice by shaping how the technology is integrated into their work.
That was the main message from Christine Glastonbury, MD, who assumed her new role as president of the American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) on April 12, the first day of ARRS 2026. Glastonbury, who succeeds Deborah Baumgarten, MD, as ARRS president, encouraged attendees to become more familiar with AI, even in non-medical settings.
“Radiologists who understand AI are going to be the ones who will define how we use it [AI],” Glastonbury said. “AI does not make our role smaller; it makes our judgment more important.”
ARRS President Christine Glastonbury, MD.ARRS
Glastonbury arrived in the U.S. from her native Australia in 1998 and shortly after, radiologists everywhere were introduced to PACS.
“Fast forward 20-something years, and it’s really hard to imagine ever going back to that time,” Glastonbury said of radiology pre-PACS. “Our workflows have improved enormously, access to films is incredible, and the collaboration has improved.”
She used this story as an example of how the field of radiology can adjust with the times and embrace emerging technologies. She also said that with AI today, radiologists are in a “very similar moment” as when PACS became first integrated into the field.
Glastonbury said that those who do not embrace AI will have to adapt to decisions made by others. While AI’s actual delivery today may not match the hype surrounding the technology a decade ago, Glastonbury said the medical field is in a slope of enlightenment phase where AI’s actual applications are being seen.
AI today can also make mistakes, which means radiologists need to pay attention when using AI tools.
Glastonbury said to succeed at this, radiologists need to use “the other AI,” which stands for actual intelligence. This includes using judgment and context in decision making, recognizing the question that needs to be answered, and having clinical conversations.
“Radiologists with AI who use actual intelligence will replace those who don't,” Glastonbury said.
Glastonbury said radiologists can use AI as an amplifier to improve image interpretation, save time in workflows, and find ways to deal with the “extraordinary” volume of scans radiologists face today.
She added that the biggest threat to the field is the slow erosion of clinical conversations.
“That erosion happens when you’re not in the reading room,” she said. “It also happens when you’re not at the table and not engaged with the people who are creating these tools.”
She called for radiologists to be involved in conversations about the use of AI in diagnosing and triaging cases.
“We are the best people to judge what AI tools can and cannot do,” Glastonbury said. “We’re better than administrators buying them, better than vendors selling them, and better the clinicians ordering the studies, because we are the experts here.”
