Dr AI will see you - soon

[Chris Johnston]

So here's the first study of using an AI to conduct virtual appointments:
Towards Expert-level Medical AI for Real-time Video Consultations

And this is the AI in question:
Google's AMIE with video demos of clinical consultations

While it's a preliminary study, I suspect we'll see this offered as service somewhere within the next 12 months. And I also strongly suspect that it was trained on data from AI Scribes without patient consent.

It's impressive - it demonstrates more empathy than several doctors I've had the misfortune to see. It could help bridge the primary care doctor shortage - it could also push us towards a two tier system where only those who can afford it will get access to a 'real' doctor.

Are we desperate enough to want to see this as an option when we can't get seen by a doctor in less than a month, if at all? Yes, I think it's likely that we are. Could it augment frontline care and alleviate the burden? Yes, it probably could.

Am I terrified that this is where we're heading? Yes, I definitely am.