MINI REVIEW article
Front. Artif. Intell.
Sec. Medicine and Public Health
Volume 8 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/frai.2025.1659338
Artificial Intelligence in Traditional Medicine: Evidence, Barriers, and a Research Roadmap for Personalized Care
Provisionally accepted
- 1Center of Applied Thai Traditional Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- 2Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- 3Siriraj Metabolomics and Phenomics Center, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
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Background: Traditional medicine (TM) systems such as Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and Thai Traditional Medicine (TTM) are increasingly intersecting with artificial intelligence (AI). Objective: To synthesize how AI is currently applied to TM and to outline barriers and research needs for safe, equitable, and scalable adoption. Methods: We conducted a targeted narrative mini review of peer reviewed studies (2017 - Aug 2025) retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar using terms spanning TM (Ayurveda/TCM/TTM) and AI (machine learning (ML), natural language processing (NLP), computer vision, telemedicine). Inclusion favored studies with reported methods and, when available, performance metrics; commentary and preprints without data were excluded. Findings: Current evidence supports AI assisted diagnostic pattern recognition, personalization frameworks integrating multi source data, digital preservation of TM knowledge, telemedicine enablement, and AI supported herbal pharmacology and safety assessment. Reported performance varies and is context dependent, with limited prospective external validation. Limitations: Evidence heterogeneity, small datasets, inconsistent ontologies across TM systems, and nascent regulatory pathways constrain real world deployment. Conclusions: AI can augment TM education, research, and clinical services, but progress requires standards, culturally informed datasets, prospective trials, and clear governance. We propose a research roadmap to guide rigorous and ethical integration.
Keywords: Artificial Intelligence1, integrated medicine2, Personalized treatment3, telemedicine4, traditional medicine5
Received: 03 Jul 2025; Accepted: 29 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Jongjiamdee, Pornwonglert, Na Bangchang and Akarasereenont. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Pravit Akarasereenont, Center of Applied Thai Traditional Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.