Over half of physicians are concerned about ethical dilemmas when it comes to implementing artificial intelligence in the medical field, according to Medscape's 2024 "Hot Topics in the Medical Profession Report," published Sept. 18.
Here are five additional things to know about physicians' thoughts on the ethics of AI in 2024:
1. About 53% of physicians are very concerned (25%) or concerned (28%) about ethical dilemmas with AI. Just 10% of physicians are not concerned at all, while 37% are somewhat concerned.
2. The majority of physicians (60%) believe that AI will eventually be sophisticated enough to explain complicated questions clearly and obtain informed patient consent.
3. The large majority of physicians believe that more transparency will be needed when it comes to how AI reaches conclusions surrounding medical treatment. Eighty-five percent of physicians believe that providers need to know how decisions are reached, while an additional 70% believe patients also need to know how decisions are reached.
4. The majority of physicians (69%) believe that AI systems could be more vulnerable to patient data breaches.
5. The majority of physicians (73%) believe that using generative AI for mental healthcare — essentially assigning patients to a "robot" therapist — is a risky use of the technology. Just 5% of physicians believe that it is not a risky use of digital tools.