Artificial Intelligence in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have rapidly expanded across the continuum of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), with growing evidence of their contribution to improving early recognition, intervention quality, and post-cardiac arrest outcomes. This narrative review synthesizes the current advancements and challenges in AI/ML-enhanced resuscitation science. Methods: A targeted literature search was conducted in Web of Science for the period 2018–2025 using the keywords “artificial intelligence” and “cardiopulmonary resuscitation”. The search identified studies addressing AI/ML applications across the resuscitation pathway, which were reviewed and categorized according to the American Heart Association’s Chain of Survival—prevention and preparedness, activation of the emergency response system, high-quality CPR including early defibrillation, advanced resuscitation interventions, post-cardiac arrest care, and recovery. Results: The literature demonstrates substantial promise for AI/ML in several domains: (1) early recognition and timely activation of emergency medical services through real-time detection algorithms; (2) optimization of high-quality CPR, including feedback systems, automated assessment of chest compressions, and prediction of defibrillation success; (3) support for advanced resuscitation interventions, such as rhythm classification, prognostication, and intra-arrest decision support; (4) post-cardiac arrest care, including outcome prediction and neuroprognostication; and (5) integrative and cross-domain approaches that link multiple phases of resuscitation into end-to-end AI-supported systems. Emerging work also highlights the role of AI in education and training, with applications in simulation, assessment, and skill reinforcement. Conclusions: AI/ML technologies hold significant potential to augment clinical performance across all links of the Chain of Survival. Their effective implementation requires attention to ethical considerations, data representativeness, and real-world validation. Future research should prioritize multicenter datasets, transparency, bias mitigation, and clinically embedded evaluation frameworks to ensure that AI/ML systems support safe, equitable, and high-impact resuscitation care.