AI is here to stay in healthcare, but doctors must keep final call: experts
Experts at an SRM webinar said AI is integral to healthcare but doctors must retain final decision-making, with emphasis on AI literacy and clinical oversight.
Artificial intelligence is becoming a permanent fixture in healthcare and medical education, but it must remain a support tool rather than a replacement for clinical judgement, according to experts speaking at a webinar on "The Future Doctor: Balancing Clinical Experience with Technology." The session was organised by SRM Institute of Science and Technology in association with The Hindu.
The panel included R. Jayanthi, Dean of SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre; Vivek N, Dean (Dental) at SRM Kattankulathur Dental College and Hospital; Ritubhan Gautam, Head of Global Health at Deep Tek.ai; and K. Ganapathy, Honorary Distinguished Professor at IIM Jammu and Distinguished Professor at Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University.
Dr. Jayanthi said medical students must develop AI literacy and a strong "verification reflex" — checking AI-generated outputs against trusted sources so that technology does not erode clinical reasoning and critical thinking. Institutions, she added, must adapt to the AI era.
Dr. Ganapathy cautioned that while AI can support clinical decisions, doctors should never outsource their responsibility to the technology. He stressed the need to strengthen judgement, empathy, and accountability, and to ask the right clinical questions when assessing how reliable an AI prediction is for a particular patient and setting.
In dentistry, Dr. Vivek noted AI's growing role in automating aspects of diagnosis and treatment, but said it remains a decision-support tool. The dentist, he said, must continue to make the final clinical decision.
From a public health perspective, Mr. Gautam described AI as a "force multiplier" in areas where specialist clinicians are scarce. It could make screening more accessible in rural and underserved settings and help prioritise patients needing urgent attention, though accuracy, bias, and clinical oversight remain important considerations.
The session was moderated by Geetha Srimathi, senior reporter at The Hindu.