At the College’s AI in Eye Care Summit in March 2025, enthusiasm for artificial intelligence (AI) was clear: 91% of members surveyed believed it would positively impact diagnosis, accuracy and efficiency. Yet 23% expressed concern about AI’s effect on patient–practitioner relationships, alongside worries about job security, accuracy and regulation (COptom, 2025).

Yuan Gao MCOptom, optometrist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and research optometrist at Imperial College Ophthalmology Research Group, says AI is rapidly reshaping clinical practice.

“In eye care, AI has moved from proof-of-concept to targeted clinical use,” he says. “It can feel recent, but targeted uses have been around longer than most people realise. In day-to-day practice it’s a support tool, not an autonomous decision-maker: it helps with image quality, consistent measurements and triage, while the clinician remains responsible.”