Medical leadership and artificial intelligence: Hope or hype?

Healthcare systems face unprecedented labour supply issues. In the United States, for example, it is estimated that 117,000 physicians left the workforce, while fewer than 40,000 joined it post-COVID. Many commentators point to artificial intelligence (AI) as the technological fix to reduce medical personnel ‘burnout’. We disagree. While AI has the potential to aid in medical decision making through its data integration capabilities, it should be seen as an adjunct to the medical care team. The larger the team and the more complex the world, the more important it is for the medical professionals to be skilled, transformational leaders. Thus, future medical leaders need more leadership development, not better analytic tools, especially in the areas of leading ‘horizontally’. Physicians are no longer just the tip of the spear in medical care but are the leaders of teams of individuals (including the patient) that make decisions by consensus. That team now includes AI as support, not ultimate decision making.