Artificial intelligence in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: Machine learning for non-invasive diagnosis and risk stratification

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, represents a growing global health burden, contributing significantly to liver-related morbidity and mortality. Early detection and timely intervention are essential to prevent disease progression. Conventional diagnostic methods, which rely on specialized imaging and invasive liver biopsies, underscore the need for non-invasive, cost-effective alternatives. Artificial intelligence-particularly machine learning and deep learning-has emerged as a transformative tool in MASLD diagnostics, offering improved accuracy in risk prediction, imaging interpretation, and disease stratification. This review synthesizes recent advancements in AI-based MASLD diagnostics, highlighting key models, performance metrics, and clinical applications, while addressing ongoing challenges such as data standardization, interpretability, and clinical validation.