These 13 Power Players and 9 AI Companies Think Doctors Are on the Way Out (Part 4 of 6)

With Bill Gates and Apple now joining the list of voices predicting that AI will replace doctors, I present what might be the most comprehensive case yet for why that future is closer than we think.

Welcome to AI Health Uncut, a brutally honest newsletter on AI, innovation, and the state of the healthcare market. If you’d like to sign up to receive issues over email, you can do so here.

With Bill Gates and Apple now joining the list of influential voices predicting that AI will replace doctors, I present what might be the most comprehensive case yet for why that future is closer than we think. Should doctors start packing? Depends how attached they are to stethoscopes. 😉

This past week brought two major announcements in the ongoing “AI Will Replace Doctors” debate. Bill Gates claimed that he believes AI will replace doctors within 10 years, and Apple unveiled the upcoming release of its own “AI doctor”.

Since some prominent voices have been making bold claims about AI replacing doctors “soon,” now’s as good a time as any to continue my 6-part series. This is Part 4, and it goes all in on the idea that AI will replace doctors in the near future—famous quotes and all the major empirical research backing the argument that we’re just “years” away.

13 famous people agree with this, even though every single one of them has been wrong in their predictions so far. For 70 years, the smartest minds in science and medicine have been claiming that machines will replace human doctors. Not one has been right. At least 9 health AI companies have tried to pull it off. Every single one has failed so far, with most ending up bankrupt.

The medical community gets very sensitive whenever this topic comes up. But let’s keep it cool. In this article, I present what might be the most comprehensive case yet for why AI will replace doctors. Should doctors start packing? Depends how attached they are to stethoscopes. 😉

Here are the first three parts of this series for your reference:

The ‘🤖machines will replace doctors👩🏽‍⚕️’ debate turns 70! From Warner Slack to Geoffrey Hinton. (Part 1 of 6)

The “AI Outperforms Doctors” Claim Is False, Despite NYT Story - A Rebuttal (Part 2 of 6)

The NYT Says AI Doctors Are More Accurate—Time to Fire Your PCP? (Part 3 of 6)

I offer likely the most comprehensive set of arguments yet for why AI will replace doctors. 13 prominent voices in AI and medicine, 9 AI companies, and a legion of researchers have signed their names beneath this statement.

So what does this mean for the future of American healthcare? Let’s dive in.

Here is TL;DR:

1. Famous Quotes for the “AI Will Replace Doctors” Argument

2. Advancements in AI Empathy and Patient Interaction

3. AI Beats Human Doctors in Diagnostics and Treatment Planning

4. AI Reduces Physician Burnout and Improves Efficiency

5. Economic and Accessibility Benefits of AI in Healthcare

6. AI Companies That Have Tried to Replace Doctors and Nurses

7. Conclusion