Could AI Doctors Be Better Than Humans? This Physician Thinks It’s Possible.

From Solutions with Henry Blodget by Vox Media Podcast Network

March 2, 2026 · 54 min

About this episode

Dr. Robert Wachter discusses the potential of AI doctors and their implications for the future of healthcare.

Dr. Robert Wachter has been a physician for decades, and he thinks that in the future, you might prefer an AI doctor over him (at least sometimes). Dr. Wachter is the Chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco and a best-selling author. To report his most recent book, A Giant Leap: How AI Is Transforming Healthcare and What That Means for Our Future, he spoke to over 100 experts across medicine and technology. The result is a compelling argument for how AI can unburden both doctors and patients, and broaden access to quality healthcare worldwide. We discuss the future of "digital twin" doctors, how physicians are already using AI, the risks of de-skilling due to an over-reliance on AI, and how Dr. Wachter is using ChatGPT when it comes to his own health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Henry Blodget

Guest: Dr. Robert Wachter

Topics covered

AI in healthcare
digital twin doctors
future of medicine
AI and patient care
risks of AI in medicine

Keywords

AI doctors
healthcare transformation
digital twin
ChatGPT
medical technology

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of California, San Francisco

Books & works: A Giant Leap: How AI Is Transforming Healthcare and What That Means for Our Future