The Doctor will see you now - and it's AI!
- Caterina Pascale
- Aug 15
- 6 min read
How artificial intelligence will transform our relationship with doctors
by Catherina Pascale
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing various aspects of society, but perhaps no sector is experiencing a more profound shift than healthcare. From diagnostics and treatment planning to administrative tasks and patient engagement, AI is fundamentally altering how people interact with their healthcare providers. As this transformation accelerates, it is reshaping the traditional doctor-patient relationship in ways that promise greater efficiency, accessibility, and personalization. This article explores how AI is changing our relationship with doctors and what the future may hold for patient-centered care.
A New Partner in Care
Traditionally, the doctor-patient relationship has been defined by the physician’s role as the primary source of medical knowledge and decision-making. Patients present symptoms, and doctors diagnose and recommend treatments based on their training and experience. However, AI is challenging this paradigm by becoming a new partner in the decision-making process. AI systems can analyze massive datasets in seconds, identify patterns that may be invisible to human eyes, and provide diagnostic support that rivals or even surpasses that of experienced physicians.
AI is already showing exceptional performance in areas such as reading medical imaging, diagnosing skin conditions, and identifying signs of diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and lung cancer. With access to large-scale medical databases, AI can process and learn from millions of cases, making it a powerful tool for physicians seeking support in complex diagnostic scenarios. As AI becomes more embedded in clinical workflows, doctors are increasingly acting as interpreters and advisors, validating AI-driven insights and aligning them with the patient’s needs and preferences (Powell, 2023).
Improved Diagnostic Accuracy
One of the most immediate and impactful contributions of AI in healthcare is its potential to enhance diagnostic accuracy. Misdiagnoses affect millions of patients each year and can result in delayed treatment, unnecessary interventions, or even death. AI-powered diagnostic tools offer a new level of precision by integrating data from various sources such as electronic health records (EHRs), imaging scans, lab results, and patient histories.
It has been observed that AI systems are outperforming humans in certain diagnostic tasks, especially in image recognition and pattern detection. For instance, convolutional neural networks (CNNs), a type of AI model, have demonstrated greater accuracy than radiologists in identifying breast cancer in mammograms. Nonetheless, this will not eliminate the need for doctors, but it supports them with additional insights that lead to faster and more accurate diagnoses. In this evolving model, patients may experience shorter wait times for results and increased confidence in the accuracy of their care (Powell, 2023).
Streamlining Administrative Tasks
Doctors often spend a significant portion of their time on administrative tasks such as documentation, billing, and data entry. These tasks detract from the time they can spend directly with patients and contribute to burnout. AI is poised to alleviate this burden by automating routine clerical work and streamlining processes within healthcare systems.
AI-driven tools can transcribe conversations during medical appointments, generate clinical notes, and even populate EHRs - electronic health records - with relevant information, all in real time. These tools not only increase efficiency but also improve the quality of documentation by reducing human error. For patients, this translates into more meaningful face-to-face interactions with doctors, who are freed from screens and administrative responsibilities.
Furthermore, AI can handle appointment scheduling, insurance verification, and follow-up reminders, making the healthcare experience more seamless and less frustrating for patients. As a result, patients may develop stronger relationships with their healthcare providers, grounded in trust and more personal interaction (Robeznieks, 2025).
Personalized Medicine and Predictive Analytics
Another major shift driven by AI is the rise of personalized medicine. By analyzing an individual’s genetic data, lifestyle, environment, and medical history, AI can help tailor treatments that are uniquely suited to the patient. This contrasts with traditional approaches that often rely on generalized protocols based on broad population studies.
AI enables predictive analytics, which can identify patients at risk of developing chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, or cancer. AI models can flag warning signs long before symptoms appear, allowing doctors and patients to take preventive action. This proactive approach encourages patients to engage more actively in their health journey and fosters a sense of empowerment.
Moreover, personalized medicine encourages collaboration between patients and doctors, with AI acting as a bridge between vast medical knowledge and individual-specific insights. In this model, the doctor becomes a guide helping patients to navigate complex data and treatment options, further strengthening the relational aspect of care (Robeznieks, 2025).
Challenges and Ethical Considerations
Despite the promise AI holds for enhancing healthcare, its integration into clinical settings raises several challenges and ethical concerns that could impact the doctor-patient relationship. One such concern is the potential for AI to depersonalize care. If not implemented thoughtfully, AI could create a barrier between doctors and patients, especially if patients feel they are interacting more with machines than with humans.
Another concern is the transparency and explainability of AI systems. Many AI algorithms operate as “black boxes,” making decisions based on complex patterns that are not easily interpretable even by experts. This lack of transparency can undermine patient trust, particularly if the recommendation from an AI system is in conflict with a doctor’s judgment. To address this, developers are working on explainable AI (XAI) that can offer interpretable outputs and rationale behind decisions.
Privacy and data security also pose significant risks. AI systems require access to vast amounts of sensitive health data, raising concerns about how this information is stored, shared, and protected. Patients must feel confident that their personal health information is being used responsibly and ethically (Powell, 2023).
Democratizing Access to Healthcare
AI has the potential to democratize access to healthcare by extending high-quality medical services to underserved and remote populations. AI-powered chatbots, virtual health assistants, and telemedicine platforms can provide basic medical advice, triage, and mental health support without requiring a patient to visit a physical clinic.
It is to be considered that such technologies can reduce barriers to care, especially in low-resource settings where there is a shortage of healthcare professionals. In these contexts, AI acts as a frontline resource, empowering patients with timely information and facilitating connections to appropriate care. For individuals in rural or isolated areas, AI could become their first point of contact in the healthcare system, helping to initiate preventive care and manage chronic diseases (Powell, 2023).
What the doctors say
A qualitative study conducted in the UK involved interviews with 17 doctors from various specialties who use different types of AI systems in their practice. The findings highlight the wide diversity of experiences and views, shaped by the specific AI tools and clinical contexts in which they are used. The study emphasizes that AI applications vary greatly—for example, between GPs using generative AI for documentation and radiologists using AI for diagnostic support. As such, future research should focus on specific specialties rather than treating AI use in medicine as a single, unified experience. Although all participants identified as AI users, their understanding of what qualifies as AI varied, with some unsure whether the tools they use meet the formal definition. Doctors expressed the need for clearer guidance, training, and support to navigate issues of responsibility and risk. Most see AI as an assistive tool and are confident in overriding its suggestions. Concerns include data bias, lack of transparency, over-reliance, and patient privacy. However, doctors also believe that managing AI-related risks is part of the ongoing evolution of medical practice. They stress the need for regulatory bodies such as the GMC – General Medical Council UK - and MHRA - Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency UK - to provide clear frameworks as AI continues to evolve and potentially take on a more central role (General Medical Council, 2025).
Conclusion
AI is poised to fundamentally transform the doctor-patient relationship by enhancing diagnostic accuracy, reducing administrative burdens, enabling personalized medicine, and expanding access to care. Rather than replacing doctors, AI will act as a powerful ally, allowing physicians to focus more on human interaction and less on routine tasks. As patients experience faster diagnoses, more personalized treatment plans, and increased accessibility, their expectations and engagement with healthcare will evolve as well.
However, to ensure that AI enhances rather than undermines the quality of care, ethical challenges such as transparency, privacy, and the risk of depersonalization must be addressed. The future of medicine will depend not only on technological advancement but also on the thoughtful integration of AI into a healthcare system that values trust, empathy, and collaboration.
By fostering a symbiotic relationship between human clinicians and intelligent machines, we can look forward to a healthcare future that is not only smarter but also more humane.
References
General Medical Council. (2025, February 6). Doctors using AI share thoughts on its growing use in medicine - gmc. https://www.gmc-uk.org/news/news-archive/doctors-using-ai-share-thoughts-on-its-growing-use-in-medicine
Robeznieks, A. (2025, June 11). Make sure health ai works for patients and physicians. American Medical Association. https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/digital-health/make-sure-health-ai-works-patients-and-physicians
Powell, A. (2023). How AI is transforming medicine. Harvard Gazette. Retrieved from https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2023/11/how-ai-is-transforming-medicine/
