AI as 'medical intern': Some see bigger bot role in U.S. health care

by: Roy Edroso Apr 28, 2025

Some trends in both technology and government – including the artificial intelligence (AI) boosterism of new CMS administrator Oz Mehmet, M.D. – suggest a bigger role for AI in health care, including the clinical space (see PBN story, subscription required). While many experts counsel a go-slow approach, some entrepreneurs are bullish.

"Clinical AI isn’t theoretical — it’s already delivering value inside regulated care systems,” says Ross Harper, CEO of Britain-based Limbic, which offers what it bills as “Clinical AI for mental healthcare providers,” including personalized AI-enabled chatbot Limbic Access, developed and used in the UK’s National Health Service.

“With millions struggling to access care, CMS is right to explore AI — failing to act would be ethically indefensible,” Harper says.

Harper believes “the next beachhead for clinical AI is agentic AI for direct patient care — a shift from back-office support tools like prior auth and documentation to front-of-house roles where AI actively engages with patients, under clinician oversight. Think of it as giving every clinician a medical intern: always available, evidence-based, and accountable to the care team.”

Harper is clear, though, that his model “doesn’t replace the clinician; it amplifies them … there’s a right way to do this: with evidence, regulation, and clinical oversight. We don’t need shortcuts or hype — we need trusted tools that improve care for both clinicians and patients."

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