One of my many reasons for opposing AI is the concern that it will eliminate an extremely high percentage of human jobs, at a scale significantly higher than any other technology in history. This is a very simple and obvious example of that. Quick internet search shows there are roughly 100,000 medical scribes working in the U.S. They are mostly replaceable, and I would assume in 5 years, that number is significantly lower as EHR platforms roll out their AI packages. We use scribes in our practice and I love working with them. They do far more than enter data into the chart. They are an extension of me that can perform elements of the exam, retrieve instruments, administer meds, take patients to get tests, translate Spanish, etc. Most of all, I just like working with them. They are my friends at work and they are warm towards our patients, providing friendly faces, extending empathy and kindness. You can replace many of their tasks with AI, but you cannot replace their humanity. It’s that loss of humanity that bothers me the most, extended across the entire American and global economy. Even if my interaction with a barista is brief and uneventful, I still want to say hi and smile at another human from across the counter.