The Metaphorical Robot in the Room
Constructive ways to acknowledge and utilize patient AI usage
By Jennifer Gibb · September 29, 2026
The idea of a health influencer touting a miracle pill to reduce inflammation or balance hormone levels is nothing new. But what if that influencer is not even a person? AI-generated health influencers add to the medical misinformation many patients encounter before making an appointment.
Patients are also asking chatbots directly. In a 2024 KFF poll, 17% of U.S. adults said they used AI chatbots at least once a month for health information or advice; among adults under 30, the figure was 25%. Even if you do not use AI in your practice, it may already be part of your patients’ experience.
AI can help improve care, but it is worth considering how both clinician and patient use affects communication. A healthy provider-patient relationship depends on trust, understanding, and the ability to discuss uncertain information together. The following strategies can help make those conversations more constructive.
1. Start by listening
Listening is the foundation of a good provider-patient relationship. When a patient brings information from AI into the exam room, consider asking:
- What information did they find useful, and what concerns do they still have?
- How much confidence do they place in the chatbot’s answer?
- What symptoms, history, or questions did they share with the tool that might be useful to discuss with you?
- What prompted them to make this appointment?
- Which questions can help you build on what they learned and correct what may be missing or inaccurate?
Curiosity gives you a starting point for a productive conversation. It also helps you understand what the patient believes before you offer your own assessment.
2. Consider your own use of AI
AI is already part of many physicians’ work. In the American Medical Association’s 2026 survey, 72% of surveyed physicians reported incorporating at least one AI use case into practice. These include summarizing medical research, creating care instructions, and documenting visits.
- Be open about how you use AI in your practice. Explain the tool’s role and follow applicable privacy and consent requirements, especially when patient information is involved.
- Keep your clinical judgment and relationship with the patient at the center of the visit. Patients come to you for your expertise.
- Respect patients who have concerns about AI use. Explain what options your practice can offer and what it cannot.
Patients may reasonably wonder why their use of AI is questioned while a clinician’s use is welcomed. A clear explanation of the differences, limitations, and safeguards can help preserve trust.
3. Be human
You may see many patients in a day, but your interaction may be the one conversation a patient has been waiting for. When people feel vulnerable or unsure about what they found online, human connection matters.
Pay attention to how a patient communicates, particularly when you come from different generations or have different comfort levels with technology. A chatbot may give a confident, agreeable answer. A clinician can notice uncertainty, ask a better question, and respond to the person in front of them. If a topic is difficult, slow down, change your approach, and make sure the patient knows you care about their wellbeing.
4. Become a teacher-provider
Healthcare professionals have always helped patients understand diagnoses, test results, medications, and care plans. AI adds another subject to that teaching role: how to judge health information found online.
Consider offering resources that patients can use outside the visit, such as:
- Plain-language information with care plans or discharge notes.
- Reading material in waiting and exam rooms.
- Links on your website to trustworthy health-information resources.
- A simple question during the visit about where the patient has looked for information and what still feels unclear.
AI can be a useful tool, but it works best when people understand its limits. Clinicians bring experience, context, and the ability to read between the lines of a complicated human conversation. Helping patients navigate AI-sourced information is another way to put those strengths to work.