Will AI Replace You? Nah.

BULLSHIT!

That’s what I found myself yelling at a recent board meeting, unimpeded by my usual filters of propriety or self-restraint. But I couldn’t help myself. The board was debating whether AI was going to come for all of our jobs, and someone had just referenced an article which said it wouldn’t be long before AI was doing the work of most doctors, lawyers, and — this is where I broke — writers.

The surprised board members turned to me for an explanation, and I reddened a bit. Sure, I was defensive, but I knew I couldn’t make a cogent argument without taking the entire meeting down a rabbit hole. My words hung in the air for a moment, then thankfully the CEO moved the dialog toward unrelated topics. That was that.

But I can’t shake the sense that we’re thinking about AI all wrong. Scary headlines keep framing the narrative in a rivalrous way — AI is coming for us! We’re not ready! But my own experience — and that of many other professionals — contradict that framing.

When, if ever, will AI replace doctors? That’s the question driving the “Great Debate” at DOC this year. That “if ever” is doing most of the work here. DOC gathers 300 leaders in science, medicine, technology, and media — including about 75 M.D. and Ph.ds. Are they really all about to be replaced?