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Abstract

This article is featured as a recipient of a 2024 AADEJ-ADEA Gies Foundation Editorial Award. It addresses concerns about Artificial Intelligence (AI) in dentistry, particularly the warning from technology researchers regarding "profound risks to society and humanity" due to advanced AI systems. The author argues that the conversation should focus on AI's potential and, more critically, the essential role humans play in its successful adoption, rather than fears of machines taking over. A main risk identified is blind reliance on AI recommendations, which can lead to a loss of critical thinking, misdiagnosis, or inappropriate treatment decisions. Therefore, focused human oversight is deemed crucial for effective and safe AI use. The article highlights the need for human guidance and collaboration to develop standards for AI tools' validity, reliability, and transparency, noting that organizations like the FDA and ADA Standards Committees are working on these. It also discusses the unaddressed regulatory gaps for AI used by dental benefit plans in claims processing, emphasizing the need for transparency of payer algorithms to prevent biased decisions and unequal access to healthcare. The piece concludes that AI's success depends on human involvement, transparency, collaboration, and standardization, asserting that AI should serve as suggestive guidance for human decision-making, not as hard rules.

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