Artificial Intelligence and the Health Workforce: Perspectives from Medical Associations on AI in Health is an OECD Artificial Intelligence Paper published in November 2024. Based on a survey of 18 medical associations, it examines how AI could support healthcare workers while addressing concerns related to ethics, liability, data access, skills and workforce change.
Key insights:
72% of surveyed medical associations believe the benefits of AI in healthcare outweigh its risks.
Around 70% expect AI to transform medicine while physicians remain central to patient care.
No surveyed association believed that AI would replace most physicians.
AI could improve care quality, reduce administrative workloads and support clinical decision-making, but it is not considered the main solution to workforce shortages.
Ethical concerns are widespread, with 94% worried about issues arising from AI applications in healthcare.
Data access, algorithm testing, weak interoperability and limited digital skills are major barriers to adoption.
Physicians should be involved throughout the design, implementation and monitoring of AI tools.
The report recommends continuous AI training, new technical and governance roles, clear liability rules and stronger safeguards for privacy, safety and fairness.
