Google AI chatbot AMIE shows feasibility in clinical diagnostic study

A study published in The Lancet indicates that Google’s research diagnostic AI chatbot, AMIE, could potentially assist patients in preparing for primary care appointments. The prospective feasibility study, conducted at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and funded by Alphabet, involved 98 patients who interacted with the chatbot up to five days before their scheduled doctor visits.

During the study, the AI provided potential diagnoses and suggested next steps for patients to discuss with their physicians. While no conversations triggered predefined safety stops, researchers noted one instance of hallucination and five cases where clinical information had to be added. One interaction was rated as “somewhat harmful” by a doctor after the chatbot suggested a possible cancer diagnosis, which caused patient anxiety.

Clinical evaluators rated the quality of the conversations favorably in 87–100% of cases. When doctors reviewed the transcripts, 75% reported that the chatbot helped them prepare for the patient visits. The study suggests that while further research is required, conversational AI shows initial feasibility for safe and meaningful clinical engagement in real-world workflows.