**9. Conclusion**

This chapter broadly elucidated the scope of artificial intelligence in the field of neurosurgery. At the current moment, AI has successfully been introduced in some clinical settings, especially in the realm of diagnostics. With the increasing capacity of ML and ANNs to abstract patient information and produce clinically relevant results, it appears likely that AI will continue to be increasingly integrated within neurosurgery. In particular, a trend prioritizing the transition from fully supervised and rulesbased methods toward self, partially, and semi-supervised algorithms is observed in deep learning, although the latter possesses its own set of limitations.

Furthermore, the literature has demonstrated ad nauseam that when ML and ANN algorithms are tested prospectively on novel patient datasets, they perform, at best, equivalent to expert neurosurgeons in diagnostic examples. Thus, notions suggesting a diminishing scope of the neurosurgeon due to the emergence of AI should be dispelled. Rather, AI can serve to function as an adjunct to the neurosurgeon by playing a supportive role in the pre-, intra-, and postoperative phases of care. An ideal world for the neurosurgical patient of the future is one in which they are treated by a neurosurgeon clinically informed by artificial intelligence.

Yet, there are certain issues to be addressed prior to the overwhelming adoption of AI. In order to make this a truly feasible and applicable solution on a wide scale, uniform (or at least interchangeable) and globally generalizable, externally validated products are needed. Robust studies to fully elucidate the entire cost versus the cost savings from increased efficiency and improved clinical results must be conducted. This will help to inform both healthcare networks and payers on the true value of AI, thus facilitating the creation of a framework for reimbursement and funding methods. In short, greater communication and consensus among developers, healthcare systems, physicians, and payers will allow for the true potential of AI to be realized as a health solution.

*Artificial Intelligence: Development and Applications in Neurosurgery DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.113034*
