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MTI Viewpoints

Insights shared by industry relative to healthcare and the advancement of medical technology.

Christoph Lippuner, CEO and co-founder of Semble.

The adoption of AI-enabled health tools is accelerating at speed. As a result, they are becoming an integral part of everyday patient behavior. The launch of ChatGPT Health brings this shift into sharper focus, highlighting how patients are increasingly seeking digital support to better understand symptoms, conditions and care options.

In fact, recent research highlights that one in four already use AI tools for health guidance and many more are open to doing so in the future. As AI becomes more capable and accessible, it is moving from the periphery of care into the everyday experiences of patients. This reflects a broader trend: patients want to be prepared and engaged partners in their healthcare.

This shift isn’t just about new tools, it signals a change in the conversation around care itself. Patients are coming to consultations better informed, more curious and more proactive, which challenges healthcare providers to respond in ways that are safe and supportive. While AI can encourage this more proactive approach, clinicians remain critical in ensuring the insights provided are accurate and actionable.

The transition from Dr Google to Dr ChatGPT

Our recent survey of UK patients reveal why they are drawn to AI tools: they provide immediate access to vast health datasets, are convenient and non-judgemental. AI has therefore become a natural first step for those seeking health-based reassurance or clarity.

At the same time, this evolution brings both opportunity and responsibility.  While AI models are powerful at synthesizing large volumes of information, they don’t possess clinical judgement or situational context. This creates a real risk of incorrect conclusions that could misinform patients and heighten anxiety unnecessarily.

For the healthcare industry, the opportunity is no longer to debate whether patients should use AI, but to take responsibility for how that use shapes healthcare. Patients will seek answers from AI regardless and so, the real challenge lies in ensuring those answers don’t just sit in isolation, but are clearly contextualized and connected back into the appropriate clinical pathways. When handled well, this approach strengthens existing models of care – supporting better conversations, clearer decision-making and more engaged patients, rather than introducing new sources of confusion or risk.

AI as a catalyst for stronger and safer dialogue

Beyond information and reassurance, AI also presents an opportunity to enhance the clinician and patient dialogue.

When patients bring AI-generated suggestions or questions to a healthcare setting, it should not be seen as a challenge to clinical expertise. Instead, it creates an opportunity to explore what prompted the search and what the patient is trying to understand.

By reviewing AI outputs together, it empowers clinicians to explain where context matters, where conclusions may fall short and where information is valid. Patients who feel heard and respected are more likely to engage openly and remain within trusted care pathways.

This is a trend observed by Dr Uchenna Amaechi, co-founder of 2Me Clinic, who says, “We take the time to understand what our patients have been through and discuss with them what to expect. We can’t control a lot of what happens [online], but we can control what happens in this clinic, and that’s what patients are going to take away.”

In short, AI is not a replacement for clinical care. It is a starting point for conversation, a way for patients to explore their concerns or formulate questions and a tool that allows clinicians to understand patient motivations and knowledge gaps.

The responsibility lies in ensuring AI enhances trust and understanding, rather than creating confusion, overreliance or fragmented care. For healthcare leaders, ChatGPT Health is more than a new function, it serves as a proof point that AI can accelerate patient participation, reshape workflows and inform product development. But transparency is key – both patients and clinicians need to understand how AI works and what its limits are, and always keep a human-in-the-loop.

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