Every minute counts in an emergency department. When a patient arrives with chest pain, the difference between a 5-minute wait and a 30-minute wait can mean the difference between a full recovery and permanent heart damage. Emergency departments worldwide are overwhelmed, with some patients waiting hours to be seen. AI triage systems are changing this reality. At several pilot hospitals, AI-assisted triage reduced time-to-treatment for critical patients by 25%. These systems analyze vital signs, symptoms, medical history, and even subtle patterns that human triage nurses might miss during a hectic shift. One system flagged a patient presenting with mild abdominal pain as high-priority based on a combination of vital sign patterns that indicated internal bleeding, likely saving that patient's life.