Article Today, New York:
As hospitals around the world struggle with doctor shortages and long patient queues, artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots are quietly transforming healthcare. A recent article in The Wall Street Journal by American writer Daniel Akst highlights how patients are increasingly turning to AI-based consultations, often finding them more patient and accessible than human doctors.
The Rise of AI in Healthcare
Across hospitals, patients often wait for hours to meet a doctor. Many leave disappointed when physicians, pressed for time, rush through consultations. AI chatbots, by contrast, are available around the clock. They engage in detailed, uninterrupted conversations, helping patients feel heard and understood. Akst notes that AI systems like ChatGPT and Grok are spending hours conversing with patients in the United States, offering explanations that human doctors rarely have time for.
Listening with Patience
Unlike doctors who may spend barely five minutes per patient, AI chatbots exhibit remarkable patience. According to Akst, these systems carefully study symptoms, ask follow-up questions, and provide well-rounded guidance. They consider factors such as lifestyle, diet, and mental health while suggesting treatment options. This approach, he says, is restoring trust among patients frustrated with overworked medical professionals.
Transforming Mental Health Support
AI chatbots have shown notable success in mental health therapy. One case Akst cited involved a woman suffering from anxiety disorder who improved significantly after following an AI chatbot’s advice on meditation, yoga, and dietary changes. In the United Kingdom, the National Health Service (NHS) has begun pilot projects using chatbots to provide mental health support. In one London-based trial, an AI chatbot reportedly helped prevent hundreds of suicides through timely emotional guidance.
The Indian Experience
India too is witnessing an AI-driven healthcare shift. A Hyderabad-based startup has built multilingual medical chatbots that communicate in Telugu and Hindi, assisting patients in rural areas where doctors are scarce. In Mumbai, a major hospital has reduced human consultations by integrating AI systems for primary advice. The Ministry of Health is also exploring ways to include chatbot technology in its Ayushman Bharat programme.
Changing the Future of Medicine
Experts predict that within the next five years, nearly half of the world’s hospitals will deploy AI-assisted systems. According to a Harvard University study, routine medical advice and primary care could increasingly be handled by chatbots, leaving surgeries and complex diagnoses to human specialists. Technology giants such as Google and Microsoft are already investing heavily in developing advanced medical chatbots.
The Risks of Overreliance
However, the technology is not without flaws. Instances of misdiagnosis have raised concerns about patient safety. In one U.S. case, a young man experiencing chest pain was advised by ChatGPT to take medication for gas trouble — but it later turned out to be a heart attack warning. In India, a chatbot reportedly recommended an incorrect insulin dosage to a diabetic patient, putting the individual at serious risk.
Human Oversight Essential
Experts insist that AI chatbots must operate under medical supervision. The European Union is framing new regulations to ensure accountability, while India’s Health Ministry is preparing national guidelines. Akst himself cautions that while technology can complement doctors, it cannot replace human judgment.
A Balancing Act
AI chatbots may be winning patients’ hearts with their patience and accessibility, but their occasional errors remind the world that healthcare still needs the human touch. As Akst concludes, the future of medicine lies not in replacing doctors with machines, but in creating a partnership between human expertise and artificial intelligence.
