TRuST Lecture - Trusting Health Care in the Age of AI

Why It Matters

Trust determines whether AI will enhance or undermine health outcomes; without confidence, adoption stalls, affecting patient safety and system efficiency.

Key Takeaways

• AI tools are increasingly used by Canadians for health information.
• Only about a quarter trust AI-provided medical advice.
• Physicians use AI scribes to focus on patient interaction.
• AI-assisted cervical cancer screening can improve low‑resource diagnostics.
• Human oversight remains essential due to AI hallucinations and bias.

Summary

The Balsillie School of International Affairs hosted a panel on “Trusting health care in the age of AI,” featuring university leaders, clinicians, ethicists, and data scientists. The discussion framed AI’s rapid entry into Canadian health systems against a backdrop of declining confidence in traditional institutions and highlighted the need for interdisciplinary dialogue.

A national Canadian Medical Association survey revealed that just under half of Canadians have turned to AI for health advice, yet only about a quarter trust the information received. Panelists illustrated real‑world uses: AI‑powered scribes that free physicians to engage patients, and an AI‑driven cervical‑cancer screening tool that standardizes image analysis in low‑resource clinics, promising progress toward WHO elimination goals.

Examples underscored AI’s double‑edged nature. One speaker showed Claude’s poetic output on trust, then asked it a mundane navigation question, receiving an absurd recommendation to walk—a reminder of AI hallucinations. Philosophers described using large language models to augment feedback on student papers, while clinicians warned that AI errors demand human judgment.

The consensus was clear: AI can augment care, but robust governance, transparency, and continuous human oversight are essential to rebuild public trust. Policymakers and health providers must embed ethical safeguards and clear communication strategies to ensure AI’s benefits are realized without eroding confidence in the health system.

Original Description

The University of Waterloo in partnership with the Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA) held a timely conversation on health and AI, exploring how AI is changing everyday care, professional practice, and public confidence in medicine.