When Hippocrates Meets Turing: A Quest for Human-Centered AI

AI has now taken center stage in the medical field. Faced with this profound transformation, healthcare professionals are at a pivotal moment to redefine what it means to be a “doctor.” Yet this is not just a challenge for medical practitioners alone—healthcare touches everyone’s life, and each of us will become a patient at some point in our lives. As AI reshapes the healthcare landscape, it also heralds a fundamental shift in how we all live.

“The Future of AI in Healthcare” offers a deep and insightful exploration of this complex and rapidly evolving era. The book’s vivid, on-the-ground narrative is made possible by Professor Kwon Soon-yong, who has firsthand experience driving technological change at the core of the healthcare system through his work designing and operating the world’s first AI-powered smart hospital. Known as a “doctor among doctors,” he stands out for his ability to go beyond purely technical and scientific considerations and delve into the crucial issues of “trust” and “interpretation” between healthcare providers and patients. Co-authored with Dr. Kang Si-cheol, a leading IT and marketing expert with decades of experience in digital strategy, the book brings to life the intersection of technology and medicine, data and humanity.

If their earlier bestselling book, “The Coming of Metamedicine,” served as a broad overview exploring the possibilities of AI in healthcare, this new work focuses more specifically on the practical applications of AI across different clinical specialties and on the essential preparations that healthcare professionals must make.

How is clinical practice changing? What should hospitals prepare for?

From patients and their families to policymakers, industry stakeholders, and individuals striving for better health, everyone will be affected by the AI-driven healthcare revolution. Yet when patients hear that “AI has already made the diagnosis,” they may feel conflicted: “What role does the doctor still play?” “Why do I still need to come to the hospital?” “Who is ultimately responsible?” “Can I really trust this diagnosis?” While patients stand to benefit from technological advances, they also risk becoming unwitting subjects in ethical experiments. As such, no matter how advanced the technology becomes, it cannot easily simplify the complex ethical judgments involved.

“The Future of AI in Healthcare” continues to grapple with these dilemmas, challenging the illusion that “technology equals truth” and examining the preparations needed for the responsible and ethical application of AI. The book equips healthcare professionals with strategies for thriving in this new era while providing the public with the tools to understand and critically evaluate AI in healthcare. It consistently reminds us that neither patients nor healthcare providers should be passive consumers—they must instead become active participants and questioners.

AI is already being applied in real-world clinical settings across specialties such as radiology, pathology, ophthalmology, dermatology, and internal medicine. From data-driven diagnostic algorithms and natural-language-processing–powered automation of electronic health records to patient monitoring and rehabilitation therapy, AI is increasingly serving as a powerful assistant to physicians. This goes far beyond simply saving time and boosting efficiency; it profoundly reshapes how doctors make clinical decisions, how they approach medical ethics, and how trust is built between doctors and patients. Accordingly, this book does not merely chronicle the pace of technological progress; it poses deeper, more fundamental questions: How does technology test human judgment, responsibility, and ethics? What is the unique role of human physicians in the AI era? And what capabilities must healthcare professionals develop to lead the way in this new age of AI? In response, the book offers a clear answer: “AI will drive human physicians into a new stage of evolution.”

A Major Transformation in AI-Driven Healthcare: Korea’s Top Medical Experts Unite!

The central message of “The Future of AI in Healthcare” is that the era of AI in healthcare presents an opportunity rather than a crisis. However, the authors emphasize that only by truly understanding the currents of this new era can we prepare the new capabilities required to integrate ethics and technology, humans and data, in a meaningful way. To this end, the book provides both a practical compass and a philosophical guide for navigating this transformative journey.

One of the book’s most distinctive features is that it has been jointly reviewed by 12 leading experts from top hospitals across Korea, including Samsung Seoul Hospital, Seoul Asan Hospital, Seoul National University Hospital, and Catholic University Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital. Their collective expertise ensures that the content is both credible and grounded in real-world clinical practice. By drawing on concrete examples of AI applications across various fields, the book offers a comprehensive rethinking of the current state and future trajectory of the healthcare ecosystem.

Kwon Soon-yong
Orthopedic surgeon and professor of orthopedics at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea. In 2019, he served as the first and second director of Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital, the world’s first smart hospital. As the only expert in South Korea who has overseen the entire lifecycle of a smart hospital—from design and preparation to operation—he has developed a model that exemplifies the core principles of smart hospitals.
Current positions: President of the Korean Society for Geriatric Skeletal Muscle Medicine; Expert Member of the 2024 Medical Reform Special Committee; Honorary President of the Korean Society for Digital Health, the Korean Society for Medical Expertise, and the Korean Society for Medical 3D Printing; frequent guest on EBS TV’s “Famous Doctors” program.
Previous positions: First Medical Director of Yeouido St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea; Last Director of St. Paul’s Hospital; Head of the Medical Support Team for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics; President of the Korean Orthopedic Research Society.
Honors and awards: Otto Aufranc Award, the highest paper award from the American Hip Society (2010); 16th Korea-Germany Academic and Business Award (2019).
Publications: “The Arrival of Metaverse Medicine,” “The Teachers of Famous Doctors, They,” “An Era Where Aging Can Be Designed.”

Kang Si-cheol
Marketing expert and trend strategist. He graduated from Korea University in the early 1980s and later joined Oricom. By the late 1990s, when he earned his Ph.D. in Business Administration, the internet had already become a mainstream topic in business, yet it was still a relatively unfamiliar domain for the general public. Pioneering research in internet-based business, he developed forward-looking industry strategies and trend insights. He currently serves as Chairman of AMD Investment Group and President of the Korea University College of Humanities Alumni Association.
For more than 30 years, he has been deeply engaged in research on internet commerce, the Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence, earning recognition as an authoritative expert in the IT industry. He is active in both lecturing and writing. He taught at the University of Oregon in the United States in 1987 and at the Graduate School of Business at Sogang University in 2014.
Honors and awards: Republic of Korea Innovation Enterprise Award (2020); Republic of Korea Supreme Manager Award (2018); Korea Shining Creative Management Award (2017).
Publications: “The Arrival of Metaverse Medicine,” “The Great History of AI: 10 to the 22nd Power,” “Artificial Intelligence Networks and Super Commerce,” “Disruptive Innovation,” “Disadvantage Marketing,” “An Era Where Aging Can Be Designed.”

The combination of these two authors represents a perfect fusion of “medical depth” and “technological breadth.” Their collaboration ensures that “The Future of AI in Healthcare” not only possesses professional medical authority but also offers a forward-looking technological perspective.

Preface

Chapter 1: Medical Innovation: The Convergence of AI and Medicine
Definition and Scope of AI in Healthcare
The Transformative Impact of AI in Healthcare
The Paradox of the Medical Crisis
The Future of AI in Healthcare

Chapter 2: A History of AI in Healthcare: The Thinking Machine Born from Medicine
The Dawn of the "Learning" Era
Image Recognition and Analysis
Expert Systems
Healthcare Evolving Toward Generative AI

Chapter 3: Generative AI: The Emergence of a New Ecosystem
Large Language Models
Large Action Models
Multimodal Models
Edge AI
Embedded AI
AI Agents
The Generative AI Ecosystem in Healthcare
Methods for Applying Generative AI in Healthcare

Chapter 4: AI in Radiology: Infusing Apollo's Eye with Prometheus' Fire
Chest X-ray Interpretation: The Dawn of the AI Expert Era
The Integration of Machine Learning and Surgical Simulation
Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Brain Tumor Diagnosis
The "Avengers" of Radiology
Korean AI Companies in Radiology
Will AI Threaten the Status of Radiologists?
Radiologists Evolving into "Super Doctors"
A Survival Guide for Radiologists

Chapter 5: AI in Pathology: The Renaissance of Pathology
Digital Pathology Platforms and AI-Driven Cancer Analysis Solutions
Deep-Learning-Based Analysis Algorithms
Endoscopic Image Analysis Systems
Leading Companies in Pathology AI Equipment
The Development of AI in Pathology in Korea
The Fate of Pathologists
A Comprehensive Guide to Making AI an Assistant for Pathologists
The Future of Pathologists

Chapter 6: AI in Ophthalmology: The Guardian of Vision
Three-Dimensional Retinal OCT Image Analysis
Glaucoma Diagnosis and Prediction
A Revolution in Precision Refraction Calculation
Major Ophthalmology AI Companies
Korean Ophthalmology AI Companies
Will AI Replace Ophthalmologists?
The Future Ophthalmologist Who Creates Miracles
Survival Strategies for Ophthalmologists

Chapter 7: AI in Internal Medicine: A Partner in Chronic Disease Management
AI for Personalized Treatment
AI in Clinical Trial Design
Enhancing Accessibility of Healthcare Services
Leading Companies in Internal Medicine AI
Will Internists Lose Their Jobs?
The Internal Medicine Clinic in 2034

Chapter 8: AI in Mental Health: A Warm Hand That Heals the Soul
Quantum Scalpel: The Digital Revolution Beyond the Skull
Listening to the Silent Cry
Interpreting the Mind with Data
Digital Footprints
AI Mental Health Platforms
Leading Providers of AI Mental Health Solutions
AI Mental Health Solutions in Korea
Can AI Heal the Soul?
How Should Psychiatrists Evolve?
Essential Courses for Psychiatrists

Chapter 9: AI in Rehabilitation: The Magician of Recovery
Rehabilitation Therapy
Rehabilitation Robots
Rehabilitation Assessment
Rehabilitation Prediction and Training
Global Companies in AI-Driven Rehabilitation Medical Devices
Is AI an Enemy or a Friend?
The Exoskeleton Era and the Human Platform
A Guide to Learning About AI

Chapter 10: AI in Dentistry: Redefining Dental Medicine
The Big Data Revolution in Dentistry
Masters of Dental Image Analysis
Intelligent Orthodontics
Companies Supporting AI in Dentistry
The Conflict Between AI and Dentists?
Dental AI Education in Korea

Chapter 11: AI in Surgery: The Strangely Familiar Presence Holding the Scalpel
AI in Surgery That Disrupts Paradigms
Innovation in the Operating Room
Prognosis Prediction and Personalized Treatment
AI-Driven Robotic Surgery
The "Spring and Autumn and Warring States" Period of Surgical AI Solutions
The Market for Surgical AI Robots in Korea
The Future of Surgeons

Chapter 12: AI in Korean Medicine: A Light Shining into the Abyss
Challenges and Breakthroughs in the 1980s
Translating Korean Medical Wisdom into Scientific Language
Predicting Interactions Between Korean Medicines
Acupuncture Treatment
New Directions in Korean Medical Education
The Future of AI in Korean Medicine

Conclusion
References