AI use among US doctors surges, survey finds

Artificial intelligence is no longer optional in American medicine. According to the American Medical Association’s (AMA) latest survey, 81% of US physicians now use AI in their professional work, more than double the 38% reported three years ago.

The AMA monitors this through its “Physician Survey on Augmented Intelligence” each year, using the term “augmented intelligence” to highlight that AI is assisting, not replacing, physician intelligence.

AI in Healthcare sector 

Doctors use AI to assist in an average of 2.3 tasks per physician, up from 1.1 in 2023. Most of this time is spent on administrative tasks such as "summarising medical research, organising academic literature, and clinical documentation". 70% of doctors now see AI as a solution to the “burnout epidemic" in US healthcare.

More than three-quarters of doctors believe AI improves patient care, especially in diagnostics and workflow efficiency. “AI has quickly become part of everyday medical practice,” said AMA representative Whyte. “Physicians see promise in its ability to support clinical decisions while reducing administrative burden.”

However, doctors are still cautious. 40% have mixed feelings about AI, which they believe may compromise patient data privacy and the doctor-patient relationship; 88% worry that if AI is used extensively, doctors may forget their own skills in the process. 

The majority of medical professionals believe that patients should use artificial intelligence systems to retrieve their medical information. The medical professionals believe that patients should not interpret their medical images and pathology results because they might miss essential medical care.

The majority of doctors want to control artificial intelligence systems that make decisions in their medical facilities.