As AI technology increasingly permeates healthcare, Australian general practitioners (GPs) are beginning to integrate AI scribes into their consultations, with the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) reporting a rise in usage from 22% in August 2024 to 40% by November 2025. These AI tools, such as those developed by the Australian startup Heidi, are designed to record, transcribe, and summarize conversations between doctors and patients, ultimately streamlining the creation of medical notes.
Dr. Max Mollenkopf, a GP in Newcastle, emphasizes the importance of transparency, stating, “We make a big effort to let patients know we are using AI, and give them the option to opt out. That’s a really key bit.” Despite this commitment to informed consent, concerns have been raised regarding the adequacy of patient awareness about the use of AI in consultations. Dr. Elizabeth Deveny, chief executive of the Consumer Health Forum, highlights that in some practices, consent is implied rather than explicitly sought, which raises ethical questions about patient autonomy.
Heidi claims to have facilitated more than 115 million sessions globally in just 18 months, positioning itself as a pivotal player in the burgeoning market for AI medical tools. While many GPs view AI scribes as a means to alleviate the administrative burden of note-taking, experts caution against potential drawbacks related to patient privacy, consent, and the accuracy of recorded information.
Deveny notes that the framing of consent discussions can create a power imbalance between patients and clinicians, often leading patients to feel pressured to accept the use of AI. “Consider the power differential between a consumer and the clinician. What are they going to say?” she questions. The perception that AI tools may diminish the emotional connection between doctors and patients is a growing concern, particularly as some patients report feeling disconnected from their GPs, who may seem less familiar with their medical history during follow-up visits.
Dr. Caitlin Curtis, a researcher from the University of Queensland specializing in responsible AI, echoes these sentiments, stating, “Note-taking isn’t just administrative – when we write and summarize things, it’s part of how we think.” She warns that automating this process could compromise the cognitive and communicative aspects of patient care.
Nonetheless, Dr. Janice Tan, the RACGP’s digital health and innovation deputy chair, argues that AI can provide much-needed relief from heavy workloads, potentially reducing clinician burnout. “Clinicians might actually have room to think again – to be present in a consultation rather than half-distracted by paperwork,” she explains.
The limitations of AI scribes extend beyond administrative concerns; they currently do not capture nuances such as tone, emotion, and nonverbal cues, which are vital in many medical interactions, notably in mental health consultations. This raises questions about the comprehensive understanding of patient needs and experiences when relying on AI for documentation.
Privacy risks also loom large in discussions about AI in healthcare. Australia has experienced multiple privacy breaches related to medical data, raising alarms over the security of patient information. The RACGP president, Dr. Michael Wright, acknowledges the potential for AI tools to enhance collaboration between GPs and patients but emphasizes the necessity for robust privacy and consent protocols. “The GP – and potentially the patient, too – needs to confirm that any AI output is correct,” he asserts.
Heidi co-founder and CEO Dr. Tom Kelly assures users that patient data is processed within the country of origin and is not utilized for AI training or sold to third parties. He reinforces that his company employs rigorous testing and auditing measures to safeguard data security and accuracy. “Even clinicians mistype and misspeak and get things wrong,” he notes. “But the errors we [Heidi] make are weirder because they’re unusual mishearings that humans wouldn’t make.”
As the integration of AI technology into general practice continues to evolve, the balance between improving efficiency and preserving the essential human elements of care remains a critical point of contention. The ongoing dialogue around consent, data privacy, and the fundamental dynamics of doctor-patient relationships will shape the future of AI in healthcare.
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