Concern over doctors using AI without proper guidance

Doctors are using AI-assisted medical consultation systems such as this one in their clinical practice. — 123rf.com

A fifth of family doctors (general practitioners or GPs) seem to have readily incorporated artificial intelligence (AI) into their clinical practice, despite a lack of any formal guidance or clear work policies on the use of these tools, suggest the findings of an online UK-wide snapshot survey, published in the open access journal BMJ Health & Care Informatics.

Doctors and medical trainees need to be fully informed about the pros and cons of AI, especially because of the inherent risks of inaccuracies (‘hallucinations’), algorithmic biases, and the potential to compromise patient privacy, conclude the researchers.