<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>Exclusive:</span></strong><span> Australians are divided over the use of </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/artificial-intelligence" rel="" target="_blank" title="AI tools"><span>AI tools</span></a><span> in medical settings as they become increasingly common in GP appointments and offices.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>About 40 per cent of Aussie GPs are already using AI to take notes and thousands will soon have access to a </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/medical-ai-rollout-for-australian-gps-doctors-nurses-medluma/62cae89a-2130-416f-864c-6456d0b11b1f" rel="" target="_blank" title="new medical search tool powered by AI."><span>new medical search tool powered by AI.</span></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>An exclusive nine.com.au survey of nearly 1200 readers revealed that more than a third are comfortable with the spike in AI tools being used in </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/health" rel="" target="_blank" title="healthcare"><span>healthcare</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I think perhaps this is one area where it is useful," one told nine.com.au.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>About the same number of people were opposed to AI tools being used in their GP appointments.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Many cited privacy concerns and fears about </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/world-leading-ai-expert-says-dont-trust-it/1565c479-421e-4afa-a42c-bf0937ce62e2" rel="" target="_blank" title="AI hallucinations"><span>AI hallucinations</span></a><span>, wherein AI tools present false information as correct.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I do not trust AI at this point in time [and] the process is too new for GPs or others to rely on it," one person said.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/ai-in-doctors-offices-gps-medical-settings-survey/5ca7146b-c68b-47f7-84d8-808eaf9757a2" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Dr Michael Wright, President of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), previously told nine.com.au that GPs are looking closely at how they can use AI.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>Have you got a story? Contact</span></strong></em><span> </span><strong><em><span>reporter Maddison Leach at</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="mailto:mleach@nine.com.au" target="_blank" title="mleach@nine.com.au"><strong><em><span>mleach@nine.com.au</span></em></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The RACGP is especially focused on making sure AI tools are used safely and with patient care at the forefront.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's certainly not something that anyone should feel like is being forced upon them," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>One of the most common ways GPs are already using AI is to take notes during appointments, which nearly half of nine.com.au readers are OK with.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Several said the tools </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/westmead-hospital-leaked-documents-reveal-excruciating-88hour-wait-times-for-mental-health-patients-at-sydney-hospital/ba9ab0ef-e694-4283-b8f0-27cf9efa915e" rel="" target="_blank" title="slashed wait times"><span>slashed wait times</span></a><span> and let GPs focus on their patients.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"My specialist has used AI as a dictation tool for a while," one told nine.com.au.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's better that than having to wait for 10 or 15 minutes while the doctor writes up notes before the next patient."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Just over 30 per cent of respondents were against AI note-taking in GP appointments.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Using AI tools for notes I see as an invasion of privacy as I don't know where the notes going," one said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Nine.com.au readers were similarly divided over GPs using AI search tools to look up medical information during appointments.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>More than 40 per cent were on board; an almost identical number opposed.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There is so much info available with the help of AI so we may as well utilise it, and in the process save a lot of time researching manually," one reader in favour said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Readers on the opposing side said they expect their GP to have a broad medical knowledge without having to rely on AI search tools.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"A GP should know what's going on in the medical world, that's why they studied for years and years," one said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Another asked how GPs can be certain the information they get from AI is accurate.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Will doctors blame the AI if something goes wrong?" they said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></strong></em><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><em><strong><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>Apple</span></strong></em></a><span> </span><em><strong><span>and</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>Google Play</span></strong></em></a></li><li><em><strong><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>ticking this box here</span></strong></em></a></li><li><em><strong><span>Sign up to</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></strong></em></a></li></ul></div></div>