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AI System Can Read Brain MRIs in Seconds

February 10, 2026 — Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed an artificial intelligence system that can analyze brain MRI scans in just seconds. The system, called Prima, achieved 97.5% accuracy across more than 50 different brain conditions.

How Prima Works

Prima is a type of AI called a vision language model (VLM). This means it can understand both images and text at the same time. When a doctor orders an MRI scan, Prima analyzes the images along with the patient’s medical history.

The system was trained using over 200,000 MRI studies from the University of Michigan Health system. This gave it experience with millions of different brain images.

Identifying Emergencies

One of Prima’s most valuable features is its ability to identify urgent cases. When a patient has a stroke or brain hemorrhage, time is critical. Every minute of delay can cause more brain damage.

Prima can automatically alert the appropriate specialist when it detects an emergency. This could be a stroke neurologist or a neurosurgeon, depending on the condition.

Addressing Healthcare Challenges

Currently, many hospitals face staffing shortages in radiology departments. Patients sometimes wait days to receive their MRI results. In rural areas, the situation can be even worse.

“Whether you are receiving a scan at a larger health system or a rural hospital with limited resources, innovative technologies are needed to improve access to radiology services,” said Dr. Vikas Gulani, chair of Radiology at the university.

The Future of Medical AI

The researchers describe Prima as “ChatGPT for medical imaging.” They believe similar technology could eventually be used for other types of scans, including mammograms and chest X-rays.

However, they emphasize that the system is still in early evaluation. More research is needed before it can be widely used in hospitals.

Vocabulary Help

• MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) = a type of scan that creates detailed pictures of inside the body
• artificial intelligence = computer systems that can perform tasks that normally require human intelligence
• hemorrhage = serious bleeding inside the body
• radiology = the medical specialty that uses imaging to diagnose diseases
• neurosurgeon = a doctor who performs surgery on the brain and nervous system

Grammar Focus

• Present perfect: “Researchers have developed…”
• Passive voice: “The system was trained using…”
• Relative clauses: “a type of AI called a vision language model”