Artificial intelligence for surgical services in Australia and New Zealand: opportunities, challenges and recommendations.

This article discusses the opportunities, challenges, and recommendations for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in surgical services in Australia and New Zealand. The implementation of AI must be evidence-based, safe, and ethically cautious, and should serve as an adjunct to surgical staff rather than a replacement. The article highlights the need for greater engagement with non-surgical healthcare communities and the wider society, as well as the importance of developing guidelines and infrastructure for monitoring and auditing AI tools. Ethical considerations, such as bias in training data and the lack of transparency in AI decision-making processes, must also be addressed. The article concludes with recommendations for the future use of AI in surgical services, emphasizing the need for an evidence-based approach, close engagement with regulatory bodies, and education for surgical staff and patients. [Extracted from the article]