Artificial Intelligence & Imaging: Present & Future with Aidoc Founder Elad Walach

In this episode, our host Dr. Aaron Fritts interviews Aidoc founder Elad Walach about launching a company in the artificial intelligence (AI) space, applying AI in radiology imaging, and his vision to build an AI enterprise system for healthcare institutions.

Elad begins by sharing the story of how he met Aidoc cofounders Michael Braginsky and Guy Reiner as roommates when they all served in the Israeli military. All three shared a passion for technology and desired to make a difference in the healthcare sphere. Through brainstorming, they identified a clinical need to process radiology data faster and help radiologists prioritize high risk findings. He emphasizes that the technology is not designed to address a single type of disease. Instead, it is a platform that has received regulatory clearance to detect many different diseases.

When hiring other Aidoc team members, Elad describes his perspective on hiring based on potential, rather than experience. He seeks out “superstars” because he believes in their ability to learn and blossom within the company. Next, Elad recounts the difficult fundraising process that the company faced when AI was not widely known yet. He advises entrepreneurs to think of their company’s story as their “first sell,” and have a commitment to debrief, obtain feedback, and reiterate the pitch after every presentation.

Finally, Elad shares his vision for the future of AI in healthcare. It is crucial that entrepreneurs display professionalism and responsible practices in order for healthcare systems to entrust them with patient data. On the clinical side, radiologists would benefit from AI exposure and education during their official training pathway. Finally, the growing number of AI healthcare companies will help progress the overall field, since each company can be a trailblazer in different areas such as regulatory standards and reimbursements.