AI at CIRSE 2025: Reaching for new horizons

November 28, 2024

Opinions on the future of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine remain divided. Still, as AI begins to creep into all aspects of life, it is clear that this fast-moving topic merits a good deal of discussion and consideration. Advancements in AI have the potential to influence medical and economic contexts significantly. AI algorithms can enhance decision-making in interventional radiology by developing predictive models, improving image quality, aiding navigation, and minimizing radiation exposure.

In light of these developments, AI in IR has become a major focus of the CIRSE Annual Congress.

With some AI features already in daily use in practices around the world and a myriad of others on the horizon of possibilities, one thing is certain; AI will continue to be a hot topic for years to come.

SPHAIRE – a dedicated platform for AI in IR

CIRSE introduced a new initiative titled SPHAIRE, an interactive area dedicated to deepening the understanding of what emerging technologies including artificial intelligence (AI) can bring to interventional radiology (IR) at CIRSE 2025. The introduction of this initiative was met with much enthusiasm and interest, and it’s clear that SPHAIRE will become an integral part of future CIRSE annual congresses.

SPHAIRE united interventionalists, researchers, scientists, engineers, and representatives from MedTech, AI, and robotics companies in a dedicated space that featured an exhibition alongside an open platform for presentations, interactive discussions, and demonstrations. The event’s main goal was to foster knowledge sharing and mutual understanding by providing greater access to emerging technologies while cultivating connections and collaborations among diverse stakeholders.

The SPHAIRE area of the exhibition hall included booths from participating industry partners and hosted related talks, which took place at the connected News on Stage area. From AI in cancer research to evaluating augmented imaging in guided therapies and everything in between, congress-goers were sure to find multiple presentations that were relevant to the future of their own practice.

All presentations from SPHAIRE are available via the CIRSE 2024 platform! Don’t have access? Get a head start on next year while also gaining access to all CIRSE 2024 online content and get your 2025 All-Access Pass today!.

AI – the future is now

Outside of the SPHAIRE programme, sessions focusing on AI and medical professionals who are already using it in their daily practice also took place in the IR management track and in the trainee programme.

In the session titled “Artificial intelligence for interventional radiology,” four lectures presented how they use AI in different aspects of their work.

Dr. Bernhard Meyer gave an overarching outline of basic AI technology in his lecture “AI basics: what the IR should know.”

“We have reached a level of impressive performance of AI,” he stated, “IRs should be able to understand the concepts behind it.”

Further lectures in the session focused more minutely on radiomics, AI in patient selection and treatment planning, and AI in clinical imaging and follow-up.

The European Trainee Forum hosted a session titled “ETF short talks: AI in IR.” with useful content not only for trainees but also for any curious practitioner who is not yet familiar with AI and AI applications.

Two sessions, “AI: my best friend,” and “AI: my worst enemy” presented both the best  and worst case scenarios of AI in interventional radiology.  Dr. Julius Chapiro gave a fast-pace overview titled “Current application of AI in daily routine,” which covered everything from financial outlooks to diagnosis to follow-ups.

Dr. Arash Najafi wrapped the session up with a look forward on the “Future of AI in IR.” “The AI wave is coming whether we like it or not.” He concluded. “In my opinion, there are two options; we can let it pass us by and we drown; other people will take over and make the decisions. Or we can learn how to ride this wave and come out on top.”