Artificial intelligence for palliative care: A boon for cancer pain management

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are being investigated as tools to support data-driven decision-making in cancer pain management and palliative care. This narrative review examines current and potential applications, including communication support, prognostic and symptom prediction, clinical documentation and personalised treatment planning. Algorithmic bias, data quality, ethical concerns and the need for transparent, explainable and trustworthy systems are considered. Multimodal analysis and natural language processing may support patient-centred care and communication about serious illness, but predictive performance should be distinguished from demonstrated clinical benefit. External validation, human-AI collaboration and inclusive datasets are essential for clinical relevance and equity. Responsible, human-centred implementation is therefore needed before AI-driven technologies can be relied upon to improve quality of life in palliative care.