Reframing the AI Doctor debate: the comparison should not be with Doctors but Doctorlessness

Abstract

Recent debate has fixated on whether patients would be willing to use AI-based medical services as an alternative to doctors. However, this debate overlooks a key issue: in most parts of the world, doctors - especially specialists - are in very short supply. In other words, AI will typically not be competing with doctors, but with the lack of medical care. Therefore, we argue that many patients will indeed be willing to use AI as the only viable option. In light of this, we suggest a shift in the central focus of this debate. Rather than questioning whether AI can replace human doctors and whether patients will accept it, the more pressing question is how AI can help to provide more equitable healthcare. We explore avenues to integrate AI more effectively into medical services and bridge critical gaps in healthcare access.

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