Digital

Augmented intelligence in medicine

UPDATED | 5 Min Read

The AMA House of Delegates uses the term augmented intelligence (AI) as a conceptualization of artificial intelligence that focuses on AI’s assistive role, emphasizing that its design enhances human intelligence rather than replaces it.

The AMA is committed to ensuring that AI can meet its full potential to advance clinical care and improve clinician well-being. As the number of AI-enabled health care tools continue to grow, it is critical they are designed, developed and deployed in a manner that is ethical, equitable and responsible. The use of AI in health care must be transparent to both physicians and patients. 

AI in health care CME

AMA ChangeMedEd® Artificial Intelligence in Health Care Series helps learners understand the strengths and limitations of AI in health care and health systems.

In addition to medical devices, AI is increasingly used in health care administration or to reduce physician burden, and policy and guidance for both device and non-device use of health care AI is necessary. Recognizing this, the AMA has developed new policy (PDF) that addresses the development, deployment and use of health care AI, with particular emphasis on:

  • Health care AI oversight
  • When and what to disclose to advance AI transparency
  • Generative AI policies and governance
  • Physician liability for use of AI-enabled technologies
  • AI data privacy and cybersecurity
  • Payor use of AI and automated decision-making systems

In 2023, the AMA conducted a comprehensive study of over 1,000 physicians’ sentiments towards the use of AI in health care including current use and future motivations for use, key concerns, areas of greatest opportunity and requirements for adoption.​ Given the rapidly evolving AI landscape across health care, the AMA repeated the study in late 2024 (PDF). The objectives of this research remain:

  • Capturing the sentiment among practicing physicians regarding the increased usage of AI in health care​
  • Evaluating AI use cases based on their familiarity, relevance, and usefulness​
  • Identifying key resources and areas of need for physicians to consider implementation of AI tools to their practice

Physicians largely remain enthusiastic about the potential of AI in health care, with 68% seeing at least some advantage to the use of AI in their practice, up from 65% in 2023. We also saw use of AI increase from 38% in 2023 to 66% of physicians reporting they use some type of AI tool in practice in 2024. 

However, there are still key concerns as physicians continue to explore how these tools will impact their practices. Implementation guidance and research, including clinical evidence, remain critical to helping physicians adopt AI tools.

Physician sentiments study on AI

AMA's latest study on physician sentiments around the use of AI in heath care: motivations, opportunities, risks and use cases.

AMA partners with technology and health care leaders to bring physicians critical insights on AI's potential applications and ensure that physicians have a voice in shaping AI's role in medicine.

The current CPT® code set drives communication across health care by enabling the seamless processing and advanced analytics for medical procedures and services.

AMA offers several resources to provide guidance on the updated CPT® code set for classifying various AI applications as well as advisory expertise through the Digital Medicine Payment Advisory Group (DMPAG). DMPAG identifies barriers to digital medicine adoption and proposes comprehensive solutions on coding, payment, coverage and more.

Stay up-to-date on the criteria for CPT® codes, access applications and read frequently asked questions.

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CPT® Appendix S: AI taxonomy for medical services & procedures

Tight shot of physician typing on a laptop keyboard, with a clipboard, stethoscope, pen, pills and prescription bottles to the side

DMPAG: Creating a pathway for integration of digital medicine

CPT Developer Program

CPT® Developer Program on the AMA Intelligent Platform

Learn how AI is being used in health care as the medical community’s understanding of the application grows. AMA articles focus on ways coding content advances to reflect the emergence of digital health and diagnostics, and how AI should be incorporated into physician training.

Stay up-to-date on information about health care AI, including the latest news, trends and AMA statements. 

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How health AI can be a physician’s “co-pilot” to improve care

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CPT codes offer the language to report AI-enabled health services

Graphic of human brain depicted as AI building blocks

As health care AI advances rapidly, what role for regulators?

The technological capacity exists for AI algorithms and tools to transform health care, but real challenges remain in ensuring that tools are developed, implemented and maintained responsibly in your practice. Learn more with the AMA.

Explore the current landscape of AI in medicine from terminology to current and future use cases to addressing risks. Download the report now.

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ChatGPT and Generative AI: What physicians should consider (PDF)

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Machine learning 101: Promise, pitfalls and medicine’s future

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7 tips for responsible use of health care AI

AMA Board of Trustees is responsible for implementing AMA policy. Given the number of stakeholders and policymakers involved in the evolution of AI in health care, it is important that AMA not only adopt a base level of policy to guide engagement but equally continue to refine policy as this technology develops.

AMA Board reports included here summarize the need for additional AMA policy on AI. Through the AMA PolicyFinder, users can search for current AI policy initiatives.

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2019 AI CME Report (PDF)

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2019 Board report (PDF)

Physician or health care professional reviewing patient lab results on a computer desktop

2018 Board Report (PDF)

Explore the components of AI in health care and delve into the potential challenges and opportunities for physicians. An AMA Ed Hub™ article explores how AI, used ethically, has the power to serve as a transformative and powerful tool for physicians.

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AI in health care CME

AMA Ed Hub Logo

AI health care trends

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Digital Health Care CME

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