Artificial intelligence is making waves in healthcare, projected to reach $164.16 billion by 2030. But how do doctors actually feel about it?
To find out, the American Medical Association (AMA) went straight to the source. It conducted two back-to-back physician surveys in 2023 and 2024.
As a part of it, thousands of physicians shared their take on AI: what excites them, what worries them, and what would make them trust these tools in their practice.
The comparisons of survey results showed the ground reality of AI in healthcare and how it changed in just a year.
We broke down the findings so you can see what doctors are really saying about AI in medicine.
To start with, why did the AMA run this survey?
AI is gradually becoming a bigger part of healthcare. A Microsoft-IDC study from March 2024 showed that 79% of healthcare organizations are already using AI in some form.
The AMA wanted to dig deeper, beyond the headlines. So in August 2023, they asked doctors how they were using AI, where they saw potential, and what made them nervous.
With things in health AI rapidly evolving, they ran the same survey again in November 2024 to track how those views had shifted.
AMA’s main objectives were:
- Understand how physicians really feel about AI’s growing role in healthcare.
- Measure how familiar doctors are with different AI use cases in healthcare. And how useful they think it can be.
- Identify what support and safeguards doctors need to adopt AI more confidently.
Key insights: What the AMA survey really reveals
The surveys reveal a clear shift, a growing positive sentiment, and a significant increase in the practical application of AI.
Physicians are warming up to AI, but only if it comes with trust, transparency, and patient safety baked in.
#1 Adoption is growing fast
The use of AI in practices nearly doubled, from 38% in 2023 to 66% in 2024.
#2 Doctors see value
68% of physicians believe in the advantages of AI tools, up from 65% in 2023.
#3 Admin relief is still king
Automating paperwork and routine administrative tasks remained the primary area where physicians saw AI’s potential. 57% physicians highlighted this in 2024 (up from 56% in 2023).
#4 Transparency and trust are everything
91% of doctors said they wouldn’t consider using generative AI for clinical decisions unless they knew the training data came from verified medical experts.
Furthermore, clear information about the origin, creators, and sourcing of information would make 89% of physicians more inclined to utilize genAI in clinical decision-making.
#5 Integration matters
In 2024, physicians emphasized the need for seamless EHR integration (84%), data privacy assurances (87%), and feedback channels (88%) to drive adoption.
In 2023, it was different. Physicians focused on data privacy (87%), protection from liability for AI errors (87%), and medical liability coverage (86%).
#6 Established players have an edge
76% said they’d be more comfortable with genAI tools coming from well-known vendors.
#7 Regulatory guardrails are a must
Increased oversight ranked as the top regulatory action needed to increase physician confidence and adoption of AI.
As AMA Immediate Past President Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, M.D., M.P.H., put it:
“Physicians are intrigued by the assistive role of health AI…but there remain unresolved concerns with flawed tools putting privacy at risk, integrating poorly with EHRs, offering incorrect conclusions or introducing new liability concerns.”
The way forward
The survey revealed that doctors aren’t rejecting AI; they’re cautiously optimistic. They want tools that save time, improve accuracy, and strengthen patient care. But they also want guarantees like transparency, oversight, and ethical guardrails.
The way forward is about balance. If AI can relieve doctors of busywork while ensuring fairness, privacy, and reliability, it can become a true partner in medicine, and not a replacement.
At its best, AI won’t just make healthcare faster. It’ll make it more human by freeing doctors to do what they do best—focus on their patients.
-By Rohini Kundu and the AHT Team
