AI technology shows potential for COPD diagnosis and care

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools offer significant clinical potential for the diagnosis, remote monitoring, and post-hospital care of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, most of these tools require further validation before they can be implemented for routine clinical use, according to Jean Bourbeau, MD, a professor of medicine at McGill University.

At the CHEST 2026 Annual Meeting, it was noted that the 2026 Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) report has included a new chapter dedicated to AI and emerging technologies. This chapter outlines potential roles for AI in assessing and predicting disease progression, while also addressing clinical, ethical, and operational limitations.

Existing applications include using AI to record patient interviews and generate documentation within electronic health records, which allows clinicians to focus more on direct patient care. Future investigational work is exploring AI-driven CT scan biomarkers to distinguish COPD phenotypes, as well as the use of blood and voice biomarkers to assist in patient management.