Missoula doctors say AI can help with care but not replace them

Missoula, Mont. — As more people look to AI chatbots for medical advice, doctors in Missoula said the technology could help but should not take the place of a medical professional.

I spent the day digging into the question as AI kept expanding into medical care and some people wondered whether it could someday take over work now done by doctors and nurses.

I reached out to Community Medical Center in Missoula for reaction. They said AI might have a role in care but drew a clear line on replacing providers.

"AI could absolutely become a useful tool in a provider's toolkit. That said, I don't foresee AI ever fully replacing healthcare providers. As physicians, we look at the entire person — not just an individual symptom. We're considering family history, current medications, allergies, recent life events, social environment and so much more in order to form a complete picture. That holistic perspective is difficult to replicate and without all of that information, AI runs a real risk of misdiagnosis," the person said.

I also heard mixed reactions from the public on Facebook. One person wrote that AI was going too far.

Another person focused more on which platform was being used. That commenter said no to Bing but maybe to Google or Claude.

"A lot smarter than the doctors could ever be," one viewer said.

That viewer also claimed some area veterinarians were already using AI in their practice. Another person disagreed and said education and life experience still could not be replaced.

The reaction in Missoula showed AI may be gaining attention in health care, but public trust in using it that way remained unsettled.