Why is the idea of AI completely replacing physicians a pseudo-problem? A philosophical analysis

Alireza Monajemi — 2025-05-25

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionize healthcare, but is unlikely to fully replace human doctors. This paper explores the limitations of AI in healthcare, focusing on three key areas: lack of embodiment, limited understanding of meaning in everyday language, and the inability to exercise judgment and clinical reasoning. Recognizing these limitations enables us to use AI to enhance our capabilities rather than allowing it to substitute humans. Following this philosophical examination of AI's limitations, I will argue that the question of whether AI will replace doctors is a misleading one. Instead, this framework advocates for synergistic human-AI collaboration in health-care settingsIt necessitates the development of hybrid entities: a physician-AI partnership and a patient-AI interface. The overarching objective is to effectively address the core mission of medicine, which is providing optimal treatment and compassionate care for all patients. This hybrid model must proactively mitigate the risks of AI integration, such as exacerbation of existing health-care challenges and potential dehumanization of patient care. Within this framework, key objectives include: reducing medical errors, fostering humane doctor-patient relationships, mitigating the trend of medicalization, and ultimately improving overall public health outcomes.

Philosophy of medicine meets AI hallucination and AI drift: moving toward a more gentle medicine

Mohammad Mahdi Radfar — 2025-05-27

The contemporary world is profoundly shaped by technological progress. Among the advancements of our era is the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI). AI has permeated every facet of human knowledge, including medicine. One domain of AI development is the application of large language models (LLMs) in health-care settings. While these applications hold immense promise, they are not without challenges. Two notable phenomena, AI hallucination and AI drift, pose setbacks. AI hallucination refers to the generation of erroneous information by AI systems, while AI drift is the production of multiple responses to a single query. The emergence of these challenges underscores the crucial role of the philosophy of medicine. By reminding practitioners of the inherent uncertainty that underpins medical interventions, the philosophy of medicine fosters a more receptive stance toward these technological advancements. Furthermore, by acknowledging the inherent fallibility of these technologies, the philosophy of medicine reinforces the importance of gentle medicine and humility in clinical practice. Physicians must not shy away from embracing AI tools due to their imperfections. Acknowledgment of uncertainty fosters a more accepting attitude toward AI tools among physicians, and by constantly highlighting the imperfections, the philosophy of medicine cultivates a deeper sense of humility among practitioners. It is imperative that experts in the philosophy of medicine engage in thoughtful deliberation to ensure that these powerful technologies are harnessed responsibly and ethically, preventing the reins of medical decision-making from falling into the hands of those without the requisite expertise and ethical grounding.

Journal of Medical Ethics and History of Medicine

Why is the idea of AI completely replacing physicians a pseudo-problem? A philosophical analysis

Philosophy of medicine meets AI hallucination and AI drift: moving toward a more gentle medicine