ARTIFICIAL intelligence (AI) is increasingly helping doctors diagnose diseases, analyse medical images and support clinical decision-making.
As hospitals embrace digital transformation, AI-powered tools are expected to become a more common feature of healthcare delivery in Malaysia.
For patients, the benefits are clear. AI has the potential to improve efficiency, reduce waiting times and expand access to specialist expertise. Around the world, healthcare providers are investing heavily in these technologies.
However, an important question often receives far less attention: who ensures these systems remain safe after they are introduced into hospitals?
Unlike conventional medical equipment, AI systems do not always remain unchanged after deployment. Their performance can be influenced by software updates, new datasets, evolving clinical practices and changes in patient populations.
A CT scanner, for example, generally performs consistently once it has been tested and commissioned. AI systems are different. A model that performs well today may not necessarily perform in exactly the same way tomorrow.
This distinction matters more than many people realise.
Imagine an AI tool developed and trained using patient data from Europe or North America. It may perform well in those environments, but can we automatically assume it will work equally well for patients in Kuala Lumpur, Kota Bharu, Kuching or rural Sabah?
Patient demographics, disease patterns, healthcare infrastructure and clinical workflows can differ significantly. What works well in one healthcare setting may require additional validation in another.
That is why AI safety cannot end with regulatory approval.
Many people assume that once a medical device receives approval, the job is done. Yet AI systems require ongoing monitoring to ensure they remain accurate, reliable and fair throughout their operational life.
This is where medical physicists may play an increasingly important role.
Although largely unknown to the public, medical physicists are already responsible for helping ensure the safe and effective use of technologies such as CT scanners, MRI systems, radiotherapy equipment and nuclear medicine devices.
Their work focuses on quality assurance, performance evaluation, risk management and patient safety.
Traditionally, their attention has been directed towards physical equipment. In the era of AI-enabled healthcare, their expertise is becoming equally relevant to algorithms.
When hospitals introduce AI tools to assist with medical imaging or clinical decision-making, important questions need to be asked.
Has the system been properly validated in the local environment? Does it perform equally well across different patient groups? Has its performance changed following a software update? Is patient data adequately protected?
These are not merely technical concerns. They are questions of safety, accountability and public trust.
Medical physicists already possess many of the competencies needed to address these challenges. Their experience in validation, quality assurance and risk assessment places them in a strong position to support the safe adoption of AI technologies within healthcare settings.
In the future, their responsibilities may expand further to include monitoring AI performance, identifying potential biases, supporting cybersecurity efforts and participating in hospital AI governance structures.
This does not mean AI should be viewed with suspicion. On the contrary, AI has enormous potential to improve healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.
However, powerful technologies require responsible oversight.
As Malaysia continues its journey towards a more digital healthcare system, success will depend not only on how quickly AI is adopted, but also on how effectively it is governed.
The true measure of healthcare AI will not be how intelligent it appears, but whether patients can trust it.
Building that trust requires more than sophisticated algorithms. It requires skilled professionals working behind the scenes to ensure that innovation remains safe, effective and centred on patient welfare.
In the years ahead, medical physicists may become some of the most important guardians of trustworthy healthcare in Malaysia. ‒ June 26, 2026
The author is Mohd Fadhullah Bin Abd Halim, a PhD student at the Universiti Malaya who specialises in the study of AI-enabled medical device governance.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main image: Pexels/Jo McNamara
