The Role of AI Tools and Their Implementations in ??l?kya-Tantra in the Present Era

Abstract

Introduction: ??l?kya-Tantra including Netra (ophthalmology), Kar?a (otology), N?s? (rhinology), Mukha–Danta (oral/dental), Kan?ha (laryngo-pharyngeal) and ?ira (head) i.e. supraclavicular has always relied on keen observation, careful history, and deft procedures. In parallel, modern Artificial Intelligence (AI) has matured in medical imaging, signal processing, language understanding, simulation, and clinical decision support.Objective: To map the landscape of AI tools relevant to ??l?kya-Tantra, illustrate high-value use-cases across clinical care, education, research, and systems, and critically examine benefits, limitations, ethics, and implementation pathways specific to Ayurveda and AYUSH institutions.Methods: Narrative review and practice-oriented synthesis integrating current AI capabilities with classical Ayurvedic principles (nid?na pañcaka, do?a-do?ya-sa?m?rcchan?, srotas, and kriy?kalp?s such as tarpana, putap?ka, anjana, nasya, kar?ap?ra?a). A pragmatic roadmap and evaluation framework are proposed.Results: Five clusters of impact emerged: (1) Vision & otoscopy AI for triage and follow-up; (2) Speech/voice and acoustic analysis for kan?ha and naso-sinusal disorders; (3) NLP over Sanskrit and regional-language texts for classical–contemporary knowledge mapping; (4) Education/assessment OSCE auto-feedback aligned to Miller’s Pyramid; (5) Operational AI for tele-??l?kya, appointment prioritization, and outcome tracking of kriy?kalp?s.