This year, a small mole on my arm did something unexpected

It started my medical AI journey

It was suspected to be cancerous, so it set in motion what, until recently, would have been a very traditional process

Before AI, I would have been referred to a dermatologist, who would triage the mole and decide whether it needed to be removed

But that’s not what happened

My first appointment wasn’t with a fully trained dermatologist

Instead, someone took a series of photos of the mole using an iPhone

Those images were sent off to an AI system that I was told was 97% accurate

A week later, I received an appointment with a real dermatologist

This time, the job was clear: cut the mole out

As he and the nurses prepared to do exactly that, they were more than happy to talk

I suspect it distracted me just as much as it distracted them

Conversation, it turns out, is still one of the best anxiety-management tools we have

The dermatologist explained something interesting

Because the AI system was still in trial, it was actually consuming more resources, not fewer

Instead of one dermatologist triaging patients, the system required two to oversee the AI-driven process

That, he said, was temporary

The expectation is that once the AI is fully trained, the triage process will become largely automated

Here in the UK, most medical staff work within the NHS, but earn what he called the “big money” in private practice

And it was there, in his private work, that AI was already making a real difference

AI was transcribing patient consultations and summarising them automatically

That may sound mundane, but it’s transformational

Accurate transcripts reduce the risk of rogue insurance claims and save consultants enormous amounts of time, time that can be spent with patients rather than paperwork

And the outcome?

I’m pleased to say the biopsy showed the mole was harmless. The procedure was successful, and I don’t need any further treatment

Conclusion

This wasn’t a dramatic story of AI saving a life

It was something quieter, and perhaps more important

AI didn’t replace the dermatologist

It didn’t remove the human conversation, reassurance, or expertise

What it did was begin to reshape the system around them, changing who I saw first, how decisions were made, and how time was used

And it all started with a mole, an iPhone, and an algorithm quietly learning how to help