British public does not want AI to replace doctors, poll reveals

2 May 2025, 00:04

The British public believes artificial intelligence (AI) should not replace NHS doctors, according to a new survey.

More than four in 10 people are also unaware of how the technology is being used in healthcare, a report by the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) found.

There is a need for greater communication to increase confidence in AI and bolster acceptance for any future uses, the college said.

The findings emphasise "the importance of human oversight" when it comes to AI in healthcare, according to the report.

The RCR survey of 1,021 British adults found 61% of people support its use to speed up processing images from CT and MRI scanners, while 59% back its use to analyse scans in real-time alongside human radiologists.

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However, only 18% of people said they would support AI performing surgery independently, while less than a quarter (22%) said they would back AI replacing specialist medics or cancer doctors.

Some 39% said they would prefer radiologists to use AI as a supplementary tool when reading scans, while 36% supported AI models operating independently, but with a subsequent review by clinicians.

Only 5% of people who responded backed the use of fully autonomous AI with no human input.

Dr Katharine Halliday, president of the RCR, said: "Our research shows that people trust doctors and want them to oversee the use of AI in healthcare.

"In fact, AI tools are already used in over 60% of cancer centres and 70% of radiology departments, and the public feel confident about AI being used in this way.

"We need a national conversation on the use of AI in healthcare so that we bring people with us and reap the benefits for patient care."

AI is currently used across the NHS in England to help clinicians read X-rays and CT scans to free up staff time, as well as speeding up the diagnosis of strokes.

Adults with suspected skin cancer may also be initially assessed with a new AI tool after it was approved for NHS use for the next three years by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice).

In January, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer pledged that the UK will be an "AI superpower" and said the technology could be used to tackle NHS waiting lists.

According to the report, the public's overall comfort levels with AI in healthcare "remain moderate".

Some 40% said they are comfortable with the use of the technology in healthcare, which rose to 76% among people who were "very familiar" with AI.

However, among those unfamiliar with AI, only 3% said they were comfortable with its use in healthcare.

The RCR survey found two thirds of people are aware of AI in general.

However, this dropped "considerably" when it came to the use of the technology in healthcare, with some 44% of people unaware of AI being used in this way.

The RCR said "this points to a need for greater communication" about the potential use of AI in the NHS "to build confidence and acceptance for future uses".

Dr Halliday added: "Though the public are largely unaware of how AI is being used in the NHS, they recognise its potential.

"Successfully harnessing AI will be crucial to tackle pressures on the health service - freeing up doctors and other healthcare staff to spend more time with patients."

Separate polling conducted by Ipsos exclusively for the PA news agency found people are more positive than negative about the uses of AI in healthcare.

The survey of 1,094 adults in Britain found almost half think it will be beneficial for speeding up the diagnosis of diseases and administration processes (49%), as well as lightening the workload for NHS staff (48%).

However, the public is divided on whether AI is more of an opportunity or a risk for the health service.

Some 37% said they think it would more of an opportunity for the NHS overall compared to 31% who view it as much of an opportunity as a risk and 20% who said it is more of a risk.