How artificial intelligence can strengthen human connections in medicine

The highest mission of technology in medicine is to create more space for true connections between doctors and patients. As AI moves from pilot projects to daily practice, this goal becomes even clearer.

Physician use of artificial intelligence clinical software tools will surge from 38% to 66% between 2023 and 2024, and this momentum will continue into 2025. By the beginning of this year, two-thirds of physicians reported actively using artificial intelligence in their workflow, up from just over a third two years ago.

At the organizational level, AI tools have also surpassed the availability of electronic health records (EHRs) to become the top technology priority for U.S. medical groups, with the proportion of groups prioritizing AI rising sharply from 13% in late 2023 to 32% in early 2025. The healthcare AI software market has doubled in just one year to more than $21 billion, transforming healthcare delivery while delivering strong returns on investment.

Clinically, AI scribes are now widely deployed in major health systems, reducing daily recording time from about 90 minutes to less than 30 minutes, allowing doctors to spend more time with patients. These technologies are expected to assist more than 50 million clinical conversations in U.S. healthcare this year, a clear sign that AI is being integrated into daily practice to support rather than replace human expertise.

Regulators, doctors and patients are all pointing to the same guardrails, with the World Health Organization's 2024 guidance on large multimodal models echoing the idea that AI should augment rather than automate when patient safety is at risk.

AI-driven analytics empower providers

Walk into a modern hospital and you can almost feel the data flying by—continuous vital signs, real-time lab panels, imaging slides, and social determinant alerts. No one can keep track of it all, so early warnings are easily missed. Forecast dashboards change that. For example, Kaiser Permanente's exacerbation risk platform scans thousands of charts each night and flags a handful of hospitalized patients whose trends indicate crisis. In 2023, the alert helped prevent approximately 500 deaths and reduced high-risk readmissions by 10%. This is strong evidence that timely prompts can enhance clinical judgment without replacing it.

Convert efficiency into patient time

AI is no longer an investment for the future; it’s an operational necessity. From scheduling and chart preparation to post-visit documentation, AI tools are streamlining workflows that once took clinicians away from patient care.

This shift resonates with patients. Research shows that nearly 60% of people say they would be satisfied with artificial intelligence if it meant more time with their doctor. This is a clear signal: efficiency and connectivity can and should go hand in hand.

The most effective tools don’t get in the way. They help clinicians work faster, make more focused decisions, and devote more time to what matters most. For overstretched health systems, this support is not optional. This is necessary.

The future of artificial intelligence as a medical teammate

Clinical AI will only thrive if doctors trust it, and trust will grow with transparency and education. The American Medical Association now defines these tools as “augmented intelligence,” emphasizing designs that enhance rather than replace human expertise. Recent AMA research shows that two-thirds of physicians have integrated at least one AI tool into their practice, and nearly 70% see clear advantages, but they also call for rigorous validation and clear guidance to define responsibilities when AI is involved.

Physicians are more likely to trust AI when each recommendation clearly explains the data and the rationale behind it. When physicians have the opportunity to review the results and provide feedback, this helps refine and improve the model over time. Publicly sharing validation results and performance metrics builds confidence, while ongoing evaluation across diverse patient populations ensures tools remain fair and reliable.

Equally important is developing AI fluency across the care team. This means incorporating practical training in AI into medical curricula. Frequent physician roundtables to exchange practical insights help establish a direct feedback channel for developers. With these elements in place, each doctor will be able to understand how the algorithm arrives at its recommendations and thoughtfully apply those insights to each patient's unique situation.

Technology supports human heart medicine

The biggest achievement of artificial intelligence in healthcare is to reduce the administrative burden on doctors to resume direct care of patients. Whether it’s a dashboard condensing a thousand data points into a single risk score, a contextual model flagging silent strokes, or a genome-driven platform narrowing down treatment options, every innovation can restore the human interaction at the heart of medicine.

These innovations will only get more powerful, but their greatest value is the extra time they provide doctors to treat patients. With artificial intelligence automating routine workflows behind the scenes, smart systems allow healthcare professionals to devote themselves to face-to-face care while carefully listening and applying their expertise. Only by designing technology that works for health workers can we maintain medicine’s compassion.

Photo: PeopleImages.com, Getty Images

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