CMOs Say AI Is the Biggest Change Coming for Physicians

Artificial intelligence runs through nearly every answer chief medical officers gave when Becker's Hospital Review asked what will change most for their physicians over the next two years. The consensus is clear, but the specifics diverge by organization.

For some health systems, the near-term story is ambient documentation and clinical decision support tools that cut administrative burden and reduce the hours physicians spend in the electronic health record. For others, the bigger shift is structural: a move toward team-based care models with tighter clinical integration, where AI supports rather than replaces the clinician at the center.

In practice, that means physicians should expect new tools embedded in daily workflows and new expectations about how care is delivered across teams. The leaders framing these changes are betting that AI adoption, done well, restores time for patient care rather than adding another layer of technology to manage. The challenge over the next two years will be implementation: choosing tools that deliver measurable relief without eroding clinical judgment or trust.