AI in Healthcare: When Imperfect Tools Meet Real-World Use

AI in Healthcare: When Imperfect Tools Meet Real-World Use

From The Gist Healthcare Podcast by Gist Healthcare Daily

May 4, 2026 · 18 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the real-world use and limitations of artificial intelligence tools in healthcare with Dr. Robert Wachter.

Artificial intelligence in healthcare is already being used in practice—but those tools aren’t perfect.     In the final part of a three-part series, host J. Carlisle Larsen continues her conversation with Dr. Robert Wachter, Chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco and author of A Giant Leap: How AI Is Transforming Healthcare and What That Means for Our Future.     As these tools move into wider use, Wachter explains how their limitations show up in real-world settings—from questions about reliability to how they’re used by clinicians and patients.     The conversation examines what happens when imperfect systems are used in higher-stakes environments, and what that means for how AI is adopted going forward.    You can listen to Part 1 here . And Part 2 here .   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: J. Carlisle Larsen

Guest: Dr. Robert Wachter

Topics covered

  • artificial intelligence
  • healthcare
  • real-world applications
  • limitations of AI
  • clinical use
  • patient interaction

Keywords

  • AI in healthcare
  • healthcare technology
  • clinical applications
  • patient care
  • reliability of AI

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

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