How Could Artificial Intelligence Change the Doctor-Patient Relationship? A Medical Ethics Perspective.

Abstract

Background: This paper aims to outline an ethical overview of the potential challenges related to AI technologies in the doctor-patient relationship. Methods: This study is structured as a narrative review of the literature (2015-2025), based on searches conducted in the main scientific databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar), supplemented by official documents issued by the following international organizations: World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the World Medical Association (WMA), as well as key regulatory frameworks of the European Union, China, and the United States. The selection included academic contributions, guidelines, and institutional reports relevant to the clinical applications of AI and their ethical and regulatory implications. Specifically, the analysis herein presented is grounded on four key aspects: the rationale for AI in patient care, informed consent about AI use, confidentiality, and the impact on the therapeutic alliance and medical professionalism. Results and Conclusions: Depending on their application, AI systems may offer benefits regarding the management of administrative burdens and in supporting clinical decisions. However, their applications in diagnostics, particularly in fields as radiology and dermatology, may also adversely impact the patient-doctor relationship and professional autonomy. Specifically, the implementation of these systems, including generative AI, may lead to increased healthcare costs and jeopardise the patient-doctor relationships by exposing patients' confidentiality to new risks and reducing space for healthcare empathy and personalisation. The future of the medical profession and the doctor-patient relationship will largely depend on the types of artificial intelligence that are integrated into clinical practice and how effectively such additions are reconciled with core ethical values on which healthcare rests within our systems and societies.