Health Care's Rush to AI Scribes Risks Patient Safety, Researchers Warn

The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) scribes in health care is outpacing validation and oversight, potentially compromising patient safety, Columbia Nursing researchers warn in npj Digital Medicine.  

Now used by approximately 30% of physician practices, AI scribes capture and summarize clinician-patient conversations, and show promise in reducing documentation burden, Associate Professor Maxim Topaz, PhD, postdoctoral researcher Zhihong Zhang, PhD, and Laura Maria Peltonen of the University of Eastern Finland note in their commentary, published online September 24, 2025.  

"Yet the speed of adoption has outpaced validation, transparency, and regulatory oversight," they add. Multiple concerns remain about the accuracy and reliability of clinical information generated by AI, according to the authors, who note that the speech recognition systems AI scribes use are less accurate in transcribing Black patients' speech compared to Whites.  

"Such disparities suggest that patients with non-standard accents, limited English proficiency, or those from marginalized communities may receive inadequate documentation of their concerns, potentially missing critical clinical information that could affect their care," they write.  

AI scribes are often classified as administrative tools rather than medical devices, allowing them to bypass Food and Drug Administration regulation.  

Topaz and his colleagues propose several safeguards that should be in place to responsibly implement AI scribes, including validation standards, vendor transparency, and regulatory frameworks to protect both patients and clinicians. "The key question is not whether to adopt these tools but how to do so responsibly, ensuring that they enhance care without eroding trust," they conclude.