Can AI Say “I Don’t Know”?

Can AI Say “I Don’t Know”?

From Anesthesia Updates by NYSORA

June 1, 2026 · 10 min · Season 1 · Episode 86

About this episode

This episode discusses the ability of AI to express uncertainty in medical contexts and its implications for clinical practice.

In this episode, we explore a 2026 New England Journal of Medicine article that asks a deceptively simple question: Can AI say "I don't know"? From the Hippocratic oath to the “Pikachu problem”, we examine why calibrated uncertainty is a safety mechanism, not a weakness, and what clinicians should demand from AI tools at the point of care. ====================================== Where else to find us: Web - ⁠⁠⁠https://www.nysora.com/⁠⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/nysora.inc/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/company/nysora-inc/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/nysora⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠x.com/nysora⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tiktok.com/@nysora_inc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --------------------------------------------------------- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#nysora⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#regionalanesthesia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ #anesthesia⁠⁠ Disclaimer: Medicine is an ever-changing science. As new research and clinical experience broaden, changes in treatment and drug therapy are required. The authors and publishers have checked with sources believed to be reliable in efforts to provide accurate information within the available or accepted standards of care…

People in this episode

Host: NYSORA

Topics covered

  • AI in medicine
  • calibrated uncertainty
  • safety mechanisms
  • clinical decision-making
  • anesthesia

Keywords

  • AI
  • uncertainty
  • medicine
  • anesthesia
  • clinical tools
  • safety mechanisms

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: New England Journal of Medicine

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