Stony Brook Medicine is using artificial intelligence, or AI, to help detect breast cancer.

Stony Brook said it’s the only health care system on Long Island using the technology.

Dr. Cindy Lee, Stony Brook Medicine’s Chief of Breast Imaging, said it helps her to do her job better and faster, giving her more time to spend with her patients.

Breast cancer survivor Pamela Glayzer said she thinks it’s “extremely important” to have this technology “so people can really find things at an early stage.”

She added that she thinks it’s important to start screening early, noting that some people wait too long.

For those worried about AI replacing doctors, Dr. Lee said that won’t happen.

She stressed that the technology is a complementary tool and not a standalone one.

“AI cannot do your biopsy. AI cannot read your MRI. And If you need help with pre-surgical planning and staging, you need me. So we’re always here to help you, we’re here to stay, and I’m not scared of the AI. It is never going to replace us. It’s only going to help us do our job better,” Dr. Lee said.

Stony Brook said the technology has been used since 2018. For now, it is only being used by the breast imaging team and is not used in other areas of the health care system.