Why AI is Medicine's Future (Not Its Replacement) | Dr. Ami Bhatt
AI is making people in medicine nervous. Doctors worry it's going to replace them. But Dr. Ami Bhatt, Chief Innovation Officer at the American College of Cardiology and Chair of the FDA Digital Health Advisory Committee, has a different take.
She explains what collaborative intelligence actually means and why clinicians shouldn't be scared. We talk about how wearables are giving women the data they need to advocate for themselves when doctors dismiss them. We also get into the bias that's built into AI algorithms and what it means when the technology learns your preferences.
Women are adopting AI faster than men. Data is validating symptoms doctors ignore. And understanding how AI works is becoming essential to being a good clinician. This episode explores how technology and medicine can work together.
Dr. Bhatt and I discuss the reality of what clinicians face: in 20 minutes with a patient, you're trying to absorb electronic health records, current guidelines, recent research, their life circumstances, and now wearable data. It's impossible for one brain to hold all of that. That's where collaborative intelligence comes in. AI organizes the information so you can use your judgment. It's not thinking for you, it's giving you back time.
On the patient side, wearables aren't just gadgets. They're validation. When you feel something is wrong and your data backs it up, that's power. Especially important for women who get dismissed or told it's anxiety when it's actually a real health issue.
But there's a catch: algorithms have bias built into them. They learn from your search history, your preferences, and what you've looked at before. Understanding those limits is what makes the difference between using AI well and being led astray.
Highlights
The freezer analogy: AI is like understanding why your freezer gets ice on food. You have to know how to adjust it, or it doesn't work for you.
Dr. Rahman's son used ChatGPT to prepare for a doctor's appointment and had a whole conversation without her input because he felt validated and knew what to say.
Women should be believed, but data gives you evidence when doctors dismiss you.
Sleep is the next frontier in wearable tracking, especially during perimenopause and menopause.
Good AI governance is infrastructure with guardrails, not over-regulation or no regulation.
Health literacy is everything. Patients and clinicians need to understand what technologies actually do and what they don't.
I hope this episode helps you understand that AI isn't coming to replace your doctor or your nursing team. It's a tool to help them help you better. If you're a clinician listening, don't be afraid to understand how technology works. If you're a patient, trust your body and use the data you have to advocate for yourself.
Every episode of Gyno Girl Presents is a conversation I wish more women could have with their doctors — without the 10-minute clock running. Subscribe wherever you listen, and if this episode helped you, share it with a woman who needs to hear it.
