CHICAGO — A new study from the American Medical Association’s Center for Digital Health and AI shows that adoption of augmented intelligence (AI) by physicians continues to increase as confidence in the clinical benefits of the technology grows.
In annual surveys from 2023 onwards, Physician Survey on Augmented Intelligence (PDF) assesses the adoption, perception, and expected impact of AI in healthcare settings. The 2026 results show that more than four in five physicians (81%) are using AI in their practice, more than double the rate in 2023 (38%). While doctors are cautiously optimistic about AI’s potential, including its potential to combat burnout, they also have concerns about patients using the technology to interpret complex results without a doctor’s help.
“AI has quickly become a part of daily medical practice, and physicians are seeing real excitement in AI’s ability to support clinical decision-making and reduce administrative burden. But as this technology advances, it is important that augmented intelligence is designed to augment, not replace, physicians,” said AMA CEO John White, MD, MPH. “For physicians to trust and use these tools, they must be safe, effective, and used responsibly to truly improve patient care. The AMA will continue to lead this effort and help shape the way physicians integrate AI into healthcare.”
Key findings on the current state of physician adoption, AI landscape, and use include:
Utilization of AI by doctors
- The clinical use of AI continues to grow in both prevalence and scope. More than 80% of doctors are currently using AI professionally, a doubling of the number from 2023 onwards. The average number of use cases per physician will increase from 1.1 in 2023 to 2.3 in 2026.
- The most common uses of AI by physicians center around summarizing medical research and documenting clinical treatments.
Recognizing the impact of AI
- Physician trust in AI continues to grow. By 2026, more than three-quarters of physicians believe AI will improve their ability to care for patients, up from 65 percent in 2023. The most anticipated benefits are diagnostic accuracy and work efficiency.
- Cautious optimism remains. 40% of physicians have a balanced attitude of being equally excited and concerned about AI, citing patient privacy and the health of the patient-physician relationship as their top concern.
- 70% of physicians see AI as a tool to automate tasks that cause work-related burnout. However, 88% are concerned about potential skills loss, especially for those with less than 10 years of experience.
Patient views on AI use
- While physicians generally support patients using AI for questions about general health and medication, most are wary of patients using it for tasks that require clinical judgment. Nearly half strongly oppose using AI to help patients interpret radiology and pathology results.
Drivers and barriers to AI adoption
- Physicians emphasize the importance of data privacy (86 percent) and robust safety and effectiveness validation (88 percent) as critical to the widespread adoption of AI. A clear accountability framework ranks highest among essential regulatory measures to build physician trust and increase adoption of AI tools.
- Shared ownership of AI implementation decisions should be a priority for physicians. Most physicians (85%) want to be consulted on or directly involved in AI implementation decisions.
- Strong clinical evidence and practical implementation guides are the most cited support resources for successful AI integration.
The work of the AMA’s Center for Digital Health and AI continues to support physician leadership in shaping, guiding, and implementing technologies that transform healthcare. Through ongoing efforts, the Center advocates for the development of high-quality, clinically validated AI that is deployed in a responsible, ethical, and transparent manner, with patient safety at the forefront.
To learn more about the AI resources offered by the AMA, check out the AMA STEPS Forward collection of digital health solutions., Provide physicians with insights on integrating AI into their workflows, establishing AI governance frameworks, reducing the burden of documentation with AI, and leveraging AI technology in healthcare.
