February 11, 2026

Adrienne Ma

R.C. Palmer Secondary School

11th Grade

At 3 am, while many clinics are closed and limited care is available, a worried patient experiences medical symptoms. Instead of waiting hours in the emergency room, they type their concerns into a healthcare AI chatbot that provides a diagnosis and a treatment plan for the patient. On another day, a patient enters a clinic to receive an MRI scan. Instead of a human neuroradiologist analyzing the image, an AI model comes up with results equal in accuracy to the radiologist. These scenes are becoming a common reality for patients and health workers worldwide. 

With AI on the rise in today’s world, its implementation in the healthcare field is inevitable. These healthcare-specific AI-based chatbots are computer programs or applications designed to speak in human-like language to engage in medical-related conversations. An example of a chatbot currently in use by 13 million people worldwide is Ada, who has knowledge of general health and is accessible via the app “Ada—Check Your Health.” When a patient chats with her, the users’ symptoms are compared with symptoms in a large AI database, and users can share the results provided with their doctors.

AI and chatbots in healthcare can provide multiple benefits. There is currently a shortage of human health resources, which is shown through the worldwide long patient wait time crisis. According to a study, the global average wait time for care is 70 days, with highs of 131 days in Brazil, 109 in Germany, and up to four months in Canada and Spain. Workers are being stretched thin with many tasks and seeking technology-based solutions, like these new developments, that could help them with more repetitive, administrative roles.

Chatbots are also able to provide better accessibility to medical care through 24/7 patient support online. This is helpful for quick symptom assessments, medication reminders, and scheduling appointments. Since the application is based online, it can help people in remote areas who may not have easy access to healthcare providers. Furthermore, chatbots can also have talks with those who have mental health conditions. A mental health study with chatbots showed the bots’ humanlike interactions were positively received by users.

Additionally, AI can assist in technological advancements in healthcare. For example, AI is being used in diagnostic imaging to enhance speed and accuracy in detection to identify possible diseases and tumors at early stages. Specifically, these algorithms have analyzed mammograms for breast cancer, lung nodules in CT scans, and Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis in MRI scans. Another way AI is being utilized is through drug discovery and development. Traditional drug development can take over a decade, but now AI models can accelerate this process to months. With AI’s ability to analyze large data sets and patterns, this can enhance efficiency in disease identification and drug discovery. Rentosertib, a drug designed for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, is the first pharmaceutical to have its biological target and treatment compound created only by generative AI.

However, the positives of a situation are bound to come with negatives. While AI healthcare chatbots are able to provide users with medical advice based on symptoms, there is uncertainty if the AI advice is fully viable. For example, a patient might be struggling with multiple conditions, where factors such as medications and medical history have to be included for a proper diagnosis. AI may not have the ability to incorporate all this information into an accurate response yet. Additionally, the chatbot doesn’t provide explanations with its answers at times. The answers the algorithm provides can lack citations, leading to a loss of transparency that results in inaccurate diagnoses. 

Since chatbots are based on a technological platform, this could lead to the possibility of a data breach of patient information. Even supposed robust systems can be broken, which is a likely and common situation with technology-based information. Unfortunately, if a healthcare AI chatbot were hacked, this could result in the breach of medical information for many thousands of patients, leading to a lack of public trust and patient confidentiality. In multiple parts of the world, such as Brazil and India, medical data has been exposed.

Lastly, likely one of the most worrying aspects of AI in healthcare is the removal of jobs from humans. Although AI and chatbots still have ways to develop before they can be used and trusted fully, it is a large concern for many in the field, as their evolution will occur inevitably. A quote taken from a study on this topic is, “I wonder if my years of training and expertise will be devalued by machines,” showing the anxiety some healthcare workers feel. This future could also lead to a potential loss of personal touch in caregiving. Many believe AI should aid and help in the healthcare system rather than replace human workers. This ensures patient care is still meaningful and direct and that complex diagnoses are being thought out carefully with a human brain rather than a robot’s.

Regarding the future of AI in this field, many believe it should develop to become a helpful tool but not become a replacement for real workers. With the steady rise of this technology in society, it is certain AI will play a larger role in healthcare in the time ahead. This advancement is positive, as it can help workers complete administrative roles, promote easier accessibility to care, and aid in technological advancements in the field. On the other hand, the negatives include uncertain accuracy with chatbot responses, patient data breaches, and the loss of jobs for healthcare workers. Nevertheless, society can hope AI in healthcare will support greater access and advancement while maintaining the vital role of human professionals to, most importantly, provide patient-centered care.