STAT+: Are AI scribes useful tools in medical education, or a crutch that imperils learning?

STAT PlusHealth tech Are AI scribes useful tools in medical education, or a crutch that imperils learning? Schools, health systems restrict access for trainees, as they await better research Manage alerts for this article Email this article Share this article By Lauren ChanAug. 3, 2026 AAAS Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellow Lauren Chan[email protected]Lauren writes about healthcare AI data interoperability, the science behind public health recommendations, and pharmaceutical advances in the rare disease space.

Hospitals have been quick to adopt artificial intelligence tools for automating note-taking during patient visits, saying they help lower physician burnout and increase revenues. Medical schools, though, are facing a vexing quandary over AI scribes. As much as educators want future physicians to be well-versed in the technology, they worry that letting students off-load the struggle of thinking through differential diagnoses to AI could do irreparable harm during the formative years of their medical training.Advertisement “The process of deliberately crafting the note forces us to use our brains to really wrestle with what’s happening,” said Jaideep Talwalkar, associate dean of educational technology and innovation at Yale School of Medicine.

“There’s an importance in doing that with great repetition.” STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — and get additional analysis of the technologies disrupting health care — by subscribing to STAT+. Already have an account?

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Subscribe Log In Artificial intelligence, education, health tech, STAT+ Submit a correction requestReprints Lauren Chan AAAS Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellow Lauren writes about healthcare AI data interoperability, the science behind public health recommendations, and pharmaceutical advances in the rare disease space. Newsletter Tech is transforming health care and life sciences. Our original reporting is here to keep you ahead of the curve.

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