Artificial intelligence and medicine: Handle with care

Artificial intelligence and medicine: Handle with care

Artificial intelligence and medicine: Handle with care

https://www.metrowestdailynews.com/story/opinion/columns/2026/03/14/artificial-intelligence-and-medicine-handle-with-care-opinion/89072879007/

Publish Date: 2026-03-14 05:24:00

Source Domain: www.metrowestdailynews.com

Here is a summary of the article using an unordered list with key points:

  • AI’s Growing Role Among Teens: Roughly 1 in 5 U.S. teens are almost constantly on TikTok and YouTube, and many use chatbots such as AI-driven apps daily.

  • Concerns About AI in Healthcare: Many teens are concerned that AI could make healthcare feel less personal and raise issues in the communication with clinicians and decision-making for care.

  • AI’s Benefits in Healthcare: AI has a wide range of applications in medicine, from evaluating imaging data to assist in diagnostics and even developing new therapies.

  • MILTON AI Tool: AstraZeneca’s AI tool MILTON has shown high predictability levels in analyzing diseases including a significant number of exceptional performances.

  • AI in Mental Health: AI platforms like CBT chatbots are becoming effective tools for psychiatric care, assisting with symptom tracking and delivering evidence-based exercises.

  • Robotic Surgery AI: Medtronic’s Hugo robot, using AI, is transforming surgical practices by providing performance insights and personalized progress benchmarks.

  • Concerns About Over-reliance on AI: Over-reliance on AI in healthcare risks reducing critical thinking, leading to cognitive offloading, especially in developing years.

  • Risks of Surgical Errors: Reports of errors from AI-assisted surgical systems have risen, emphasizing the necessity for careful monitoring.

  • Ethical and Medical Concerns: AI in healthcare raises privacy issues, data misuse without consent, and potential for biased responses due to underrepresentation in training datasets.

  • Human Oversight is Critical: Despite AI’s potential to improve patient outcomes, it’s crucial to ensure that AI supports clinicians and that humans remain involved in final treatment decisions.