Two in three physicians now use AI in healthcare as adoption jumps 78% in one year
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare among physicians has grown significantly in the past year, with adoption rates increasing by 78% from 2023 to 2024. A newly released survey from the American Medical Association (AMA) highlights this trend, showing that nearly two-thirds (66%) of physicians now use AI tools in their practice. Despite some lingering concerns, enthusiasm for AI in healthcare is on the rise, as many physicians recognise its potential benefits.
Rapid Growth in AI Adoption Among Physicians
According to the AMA survey, 66% of physicians reported using AI for various tasks in 2024, compared to just 38% in 2023. The most common applications include:
- Documentation support – assisting with billing codes, medical charting, and visit notes.
- Clinical documentation generation – creation of discharge instructions, care plans, and progress notes.
- Translation services – aiding in multilingual communication with patients.
- Summarisation of medical research – condensing complex medical literature and standards of care.
- Assistive diagnosis – providing clinical decision support.
- Patient engagement – facilitating chatbot interactions and personalised health recommendations.
These AI-driven tools are increasingly being integrated into clinical workflows to enhance efficiency and improve patient care outcomes.
Shifting Physician Sentiments Toward AI
The AMA survey, which gathered insights from nearly 1,200 physicians across various specialties and employment settings, examined changes in attitudes toward AI from summer 2023 to autumn 2024. The findings indicate a positive shift:
- 35% of physicians reported that their enthusiasm for AI now outweighs their concerns, up from 30% in 2023.
- Only 25% of physicians expressed that their concerns about AI outweigh their enthusiasm, a drop from 29% the previous year.
- 40% of physicians stated that they remain equally excited and concerned about AI.
Dr Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH, Immediate Past President of the AMA, commented on these findings, stating:
“The AMA survey illustrates that physicians are increasingly intrigued by the assistive role of health AI and the potential of AI-enabled tools to reduce administrative burdens, enhance diagnostic accuracy, and personalise treatments.”
Key Insights from the AMA Survey
The survey outlines four major takeaways that provide deeper insight into how physicians view AI:
- AI Usage in Practice Has Grown Substantially
- In 2024, only 33% of physicians reported not using AI in any capacity, a significant drop from the 62% of physicians who reported non-usage in 2023.
- Positive Sentiment and Enthusiasm for AI is Increasing
- Physicians are recognising AI’s advantages in patient care, with 68% reporting that AI provides at least some benefit—an increase of five percentage points from 2023.
- Reducing Administrative Burden is a Key Area of AI Opportunity
- 57% of physicians identified administrative task automation as AI’s greatest potential benefit, particularly in clinical documentation.
- Physicians Require Certain Conditions to Increase AI Adoption
- Physicians identified several factors necessary for improving AI trust and adoption, including a feedback loop, data privacy assurances, seamless workflow integration, and sufficient training.
- 47% of respondents ranked increased oversight as the top regulatory action required to enhance trust in AI adoption.
Dr Ehrenfeld further emphasised the importance of addressing these challenges:
“There remain unresolved physician concerns with the design of health AI and the potential of flawed AI-enabled tools to put privacy at risk, integrate poorly with EHR systems, offer incorrect conclusions or recommendations, and introduce new liability concerns. Increased oversight ranked as the top regulatory action needed to increase physician confidence and adoption of AI.”
How Physicians Are Using AI in 2024
Among the surveyed physicians who reported using AI, the most common applications saw notable increases from 2023 to 2024:
| AI Application | 2024 Usage (%) | 2023 Usage (%) |
| Documentation of billing codes, medical charts, or visit notes | 21% | 13% |
| Creation of discharge instructions, care plans, and progress notes | 20% | 14% |
| Translation services | 14% | 11% |
| Summarisation of medical research and standards of care | 13% | 6% |
| Assistive diagnosis | 12% | 11% |
| Generation of chart summaries | 12% | 8% |
| Patient-facing chatbot for customer service functions | 10% | 8% |
| Patient-facing health recommendations and self-care engagement | 10% | 8% |
These statistics reflect the growing reliance on AI to streamline documentation, enhance communication, and provide clinical decision support.
Regulatory and Policy Considerations
As AI adoption in healthcare expands, the AMA is advocating for policies to ensure the responsible development, deployment, and use of AI. Their advocacy principles focus on:
- Healthcare AI oversight – ensuring proper regulatory frameworks.
- Transparency in AI use – defining when and what disclosures should be made regarding AI use.
- Generative AI policies and governance – establishing ethical and operational standards.
- Physician liability protections – clarifying legal responsibilities in AI-assisted decision-making.
- AI data privacy and cybersecurity – safeguarding sensitive patient information.
- Payer use of AI – ensuring fair and unbiased automated decision-making in insurance coverage.
Conclusion
The AMA’s latest survey underscores the rapid expansion of AI adoption in healthcare, with physicians increasingly leveraging AI to improve efficiency and patient outcomes. While enthusiasm is growing, the need for robust oversight, clear regulations, and continued education remains critical to fostering trust and maximising the benefits of AI in medicine.
As AI tools continue to evolve, their role in supporting physicians and enhancing patient care is expected to become even more prominent. The challenge moving forward will be ensuring these technologies are seamlessly integrated into clinical workflows while maintaining high standards for accuracy, security, and physician oversight.
