At a recent doctor's appointment, I was asked to consent to an artificial intelligence assistant listening to my consultation. The assistant was Heidi, one of a growing number of AI medical scribes. It listens to the conversation, produces a transcript and turns it into structured clinical notes for the doctor to review, which, on the face of it, is exactly the sort of work we should give to an AI. Doctors spend time typing notes, referral letters and reports. A machine that handles the paperwork while the doctor concentrates on the patient offers an obvious human benefit: less administration, better attention and, potentially, better care.

At a recent doctor's appointment, I was asked to consent to an artificial intelligence assistant listening to my consultation. The assistant was Heidi, one of a growing number of AI medical scribes. It listens to the conversation, produces a transcript and turns it into structured clinical notes for the doctor to review, which, on the face of it, is exactly the sort of work we should give to an AI. Doctors spend time typing notes, referral letters and reports. A machine that handles the paperwork while the doctor concentrates on the patient offers an obvious human benefit: less administration, better attention and, potentially, better care.