We’ve been developing CoTreat AI for the past four years, and throughout this journey, we’ve consistently engaged in discussions about the opportunities and risks ahead. These often heated discussions have significantly shaped our product's direction. Whether we've made the right choices will become clear over time. While we are already very confident in the value CoTreat AI adds to dentists and dental practices, both in terms of increasing clinical accuracy and reducing workload, the ethical implications of AI are evolving.
I believe the time is now right, with the genie sufficiently out of the bottle, to openly share some insights and internal concerns about dental AI. We seek candid feedback from practitioners and practice owners, as AI will impact everyone in the field in the next decade. CoTreat AI is committed to taking a clear stance on each of the following profound ethical quandaries, avoiding any fence-sitting.
We have identified the following four high-impact ethical issues to be discussed as a priority:
- The risk of over-diagnosis leading to poorer patient outcomes
- The impact of AI analysis on practitioner mental health
- Automation of administrative tasks resulting in staff redundancies
- AI's shift from 'clinical decision support' to 'decision maker,' leading to a loss of practitioner autonomy and blurred medico-legal and professional boundaries