I recently published an editorial in American Family Physician titled “The Empowerment of Consumers for Health: AI Accelerates a Long-Standing Trend.” While headlines often frame artificial intelligence (AI) as either an existential threat to physicians or a helpful clinical assistant, I argue that both views miss the broader context: AI is the latest in a series of technologies that empower consumers to manage their own health — often without a doctor at all.
And this didn’t begin with ChatGPT. For decades, consumers have used online search engines, wearables, and over-the-counter medications to bypass the traditional gatekeepers of care. AI simply supercharges a longstanding trend: the democratization of health knowledge and decision-making.
What happens when free, always-on tools help patients adjust their insulin, distinguish between a cold and pneumonia, or monitor key metrics continuously rather than once a year? The answer isn’t a dystopian future without doctors — but it is a future where clinicians must reorient their value toward what cannot be automated.
In the piece, I encourage physicians to embrace AI, not fear it — to find new roles, contribute to the development of patient-centered tools, and show the unique value only human clinicians can provide.
If you’re a health leader, technologist, or clinician, I’d love to hear how you’re navigating this shift. The question is no longer whether change is coming — but whether doctors play the role of leader or observer.
🔗 Read the full article in American Family Physician: