The effects of generative AI’s human-like competencies on clinical decision-making

Generative AI (genAI) has revolutionized clinical AI systems by leveraging human language. Yet, challenges remain in its integration into clinical settings, particularly regarding the risk of physicians relying on hallucinated advice. We conducted an experimental study with 368 novice physicians who diagnosed patient cases while being augmented with clinical genAI systems. A theoretical model was empirically tested to examine how anthropomorphism and advice elaboration affect trust and cognitive load as mediators for appropriate reliance. Findings show that augmenting clinical decisions with genAI systems can improve physicians’ diagnostic accuracy but also frequently results in inappropriate reliance on hallucinated advice due to miscalibrated trust. Moreover, we emphasize the uncanny familiarity evoked by anthropomorphizing genAI systems, which diminishes trust while reducing cognitive load. Our findings highlight the benefits and ethical challenges of genAI in clinical decision support, underscoring the need to balance its advantages with safeguarding the integrity of physicians’ decision agency.