AI could transform healthcare for the better — but this doctor says there’s one thing it should never do

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being integrated into various aspects of healthcare, including music creation, gaming development, and personal health management. This technology is also being utilized by healthcare professionals to aid in disease detection, treatment recommendations, and administrative tasks. However, there remains a critical question about how much of our healthcare should be entrusted to AI, and what the AI should not be allowed to independently decide.

Imamu Mu Tomlinson, MD, a practicing emergency physician and CEO of Vituity, an organization advancing healthcare technology and AI-enabled care solutions, suggests that consequential clinical decisions should never be made solely by AI. These decisions involve life-altering treatments, withdrawing care, or other significant health-related choices that require a clinician's understanding of the whole person and not just the data.

Tomlinson believes AI can be incredibly valuable when it comes to analyzing vast amounts of data, recognizing patterns, reducing administrative work, and helping clinicians identify potential issues. However, he firmly stands by the principle that AI should not own the decision-making process. He compares his perspective to an emergency physician who wants AI to make tasks more efficient while still empowering them to provide personalized care to their patients.

Transparency is crucial in healthcare, and patients should be informed when AI is involved in their diagnosis, treatment recommendations, or care. However, it is also essential not to overwhelm patients with every technology operating behind the scenes. AI's involvement should be clearly communicated, and patients should know when AI is influencing their clinical decisions.

When it comes to accountability in case of AI-related errors or harm to a patient, responsibility should be shared among physicians, healthcare organizations, and AI companies. Physicians must exercise clinical judgment and not blindly accept AI recommendations, while healthcare organizations must ensure the technologies they introduce are safe, governed, and continuously monitored.

Technology companies also bear the responsibility of transparency regarding how their products work, their limitations, and performance across different patient populations.

Tomlinson sees AI as a tool that can significantly enhance physicians' efficiency by taking over time-consuming tasks such as documentation and administrative work. This allows physicians to focus more on their patients and provide the empathy and human connection that is irreplaceable in medical care. However, he emphasizes that human judgment and empathy will always remain essential in understanding the unique context and needs of each patient.