AI Can Scan Your Moles. But It Can’t Read the Room.

May 6

You downloaded the app. You aimed your phone.

It told you your mole is “probably fine.”

Cool. Except… what if it’s not?

AI is getting scary good at a lot of things. Diagnosing skin cancer? It’s trying. But right now, it’s not even close to replacing your dermatologist. And if that’s the bet you’re making—you’re betting your life on software that can’t ask follow-up questions.

What the Robots Can Do (and Why It’s Pretty Cool)

Let’s give credit where it’s due. AI is helping.
👉 The NHS just launched a trial of AI software that scans photos of skin lesions to flag suspicious cases for dermatologists.
👉 The FDA just green-lit DermaSensor, a handheld AI tool that helps primary care doctors spot basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas early.
👉 And there are dozens of new apps that claim to analyze your skin in seconds.

But here’s the thing: AI isn’t magic. It’s math.
And if the data is off—or incomplete or non-representative—so is the diagnosis.

What AI Misses (Aka: The Human Stuff)

AI sees what you show it.
But melanoma doesn’t always play fair. Sometimes, it hides. In your scalp. Under your nail. Between your toes. Places you can’t angle your phone.
AI doesn’t know your history.
Your family background, your meds, your past biopsies—none of that gets scanned. And context matters. A lot.
AI doesn’t see skin of color the same.
A recent study in The British Journal of Dermatology found many apps had “poor diagnostic accuracy,” especially on darker skin tones. And the Washington Post recently warned that even top AI platforms are undertrained on diverse datasets.
AI doesn’t catch patterns.
Dermatologists do. We don’t just look at the mole—you came in for. We look at the one next to it. And the one 6 inches away. Because change matters. And pattern recognition saves lives.

What You Actually Need

Let’s be real: tech is sexy. But trust is earned.
And when it comes to melanoma, the stakes are too high to crowdsource your care to a phone app.

You still need an in-person skin exam—ideally once a year. Twice if you’re high-risk. It takes 15 minutes. It could save your life.

TL;DR?

Use the app if it makes you feel better.
But book the appointment if you want to be safer.

You already do it for your teeth. Your eyes. Your pet.
Why not your skin?

💡 The Stats (a quick reality check):

One in five Americans will get skin cancer.
One person dies from melanoma every hour.
But when caught early? 99% survival rate.

AI isn’t the enemy. But delay is.
So get it checked. By someone with training, credentials, and—let’s be honest—eyeballs.

We’ve got your back.
But first, we need to see it.

#GetItChecked #SkinCheckBuddy #SkinCancerAwareness #EarlyDetectionSavesLives #ShoreDerm

Janine Shore