AI is no longer a distant concept. We’re bombarded by daily doses of AI hype. AI powered apps are already entering private practices and therapy rooms, quietly changing the way clinicians practise.
It raises a simple but important question. How does this new technology change the way we care for people? The answers are not all clear yet, but what is clear is that AI isn’t going away. So, how can medical practitioners use it without losing the human connection?
AI interprets data. Clinicians bring meaning.
Imagine a psychologist working with a young adult battling anxiety. An AI suggests the patient is at high risk based on keywords in journal entries. It’s a red flag, but the therapist knows this patient well. They know she’s made progress. They also know she’s sarcastic, and often uses humour to talk about pain.
A biokineticist watches a client walk across the room and subtle changes stand out. She’s walking with a limp that wasn’t there last week, there’s tension in the shoulders and the client is nervous when climbing. Now imagine an AI video tool analysing the same walk and flagging a mild gait asymmetry. It’s useful, but it misses the story behind the movement.
That’s the tension. AI might pick up patterns, but it doesn’t understand nuance. It doesn’t build trust. Clinicians may find these tools helpful for diagnostic screening or monitoring, but it it’s a tool, nothing more and cannot replace the clinician. The judgement, empathy and presence that define therapy and assessments won’t be replaced by code.
The human eye still sees differently. It knows when someone’s avoiding pain, or when fatigue, emotion or fear is shaping how they move.
In the last few years there’s been a proliferation of diet and nutrition apps. Don’t get me wrong, some of these diet apps are impressive. They scan a plate of food, log nutritional values, and suggest better choices. But food isn’t just fuel, it’s also a culture and forms part of our identity. A dietitian working with someone who grew up in a food-insecure home knows that suggesting a “healthier swap” isn’t always helpful.
AI might count calories, but it doesn’t ask how someone feels when they eat. It doesn’t know they binge when stressed or skip meals when anxious. It certainly doesn’t know how to rebuild a healthy relationship with food.
Dietitians bring care, patience and context. When combined with AI tools that support tracking or education, the result can be powerful. But the technology should serve the relationship, not replace it.
Where do we draw the line?
Whether it’s mental health, physical function or nutrition, the same challenge repeats. AI can offer support, but it lacks the context and connection that professionals bring to the table.
There’s also the question of who builds these tools. Many are trained on data from Western populations. They often overlook local culture, language and lifestyle. For South African practitioners, this can mean navigating systems that don’t quite fit their clients.
Then there’s trust. Patients need to know how their data is being used, and by whom. As clinicians, we need to explain that. That means understanding the tools we use—not just what they do, but what they can’t do.
A call for cautious confidence
We don’t need to fear AI. Well researched practice tools can make us more effective and support our goal of better patient outcomes. We do need to approach it with care, and ensure that these tools are used ethically and in the best interest of our clients.
The real value of practitioner based practices lies in relationships. In the questions we ask, the time we spend, and the trust we build. AI might help us with some of the “what.” But it’s still up to us to hold onto the “why.”
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