Dr. Bob Clippy Will See You Now
September 8, 2025
I cannot wait for AI to replace my trusted human physician whom I’ve been seeing for years. “Microsoft Claims its AI Tool Can Diagnose Complex Medical Cases Four Times More Accurately than Doctors,” Fortune reports. The company made this incredible claim in a recent blog post. How did it determine this statistic? By taking the usual resources away from human doctors it pitted against its AI. Senior Reporter Alexa Mikhail tells us:
“The team at Microsoft noted the limitations of this research. For one, the physicians in the study had between five and 20 years of experience, but were unable to use textbooks, coworkers, or—ironically—generative AI for their answers. It could have limited their performance, as these resources may typically be available during a complex medical situation.”
You don’t say? Additionally, the study did not include everyday cases. You know, the sort doctors do not need to consult books or coworkers to diagnose. Seems legit. Microsoft says it sees the tool as a complement to doctors, not a replacement for them. That sounds familiar.
Mikahil notes AI already permeates healthcare: Most of us have looked up symptoms with AI-assisted Web searches. ChatGPT is actively being used as a psychotherapist (sometimes for better, often for worse). Many healthcare executives are eager to take this much, much further. So are about half of US patients and 63% of clinicians, according to the 2025 Philips Future Health Index (FHI), who expect AI to improve health outcomes. We hope they are correct, because there may be no turning back now.
Cynthia Murrell, September 8, 2025
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