AI in Australian Healthcare: How It’s Used, How It’s Regulated and What It Means for You

Artificial intelligence (AI) is starting to appear in Australian healthcare, from software that helps read medical images to “AI scribes” that write up consultation notes. It can support doctors and save time, but it doesn’t replace a doctor’s judgement, and it comes with real questions about accuracy, regulation and privacy.

This explainer covers how AI is and isn’t used in healthcare in Australia, how it’s regulated, what to know about AI scribes and consent, and how to use AI health information sensibly.

What do we mean by AI in healthcare?

“AI” is a broad term. In healthcare it usually refers to software that learns patterns from large amounts of data and uses them to make a prediction, flag something for attention, or generate text. It ranges from narrow tools built for one task, such as spotting a particular finding on an X-ray, to general chatbots that answer questions in everyday language.

How AI is being used in Australian healthcare

Supporting clinicians

• Medical imaging: some software helps radiologists and other specialists by highlighting areas of a scan or image that may need a closer look. A qualified specialist still reviews the images and writes the report.
• Clinical documentation: AI scribes listen to a consultation and draft notes or letters for the clinician to check and edit.
• Decision support: some software flags possible medicine interactions or abnormal results so they’re less likely to be missed.

Administration

Healthcare services may use automated tools to help with bookings, reminders, answering common questions and managing paperwork. These can reduce waiting and free up staff time.

Health information for the public

Online symptom checkers and general AI chatbots can give information about symptoms and conditions. They can be a starting point, but they can’t examine you, don’t know your full history and can be wrong. The government-funded healthdirect Symptom Checker notes that it can’t give a diagnosis and isn’t a substitute for professional care.

What AI doesn’t do

• It doesn’t take responsibility for your care. Under the Ahpra guidance on using AI in healthcare, the registered health practitioner remains responsible for safe, quality care and must apply their own clinical judgement to anything an AI tool produces.
• It isn’t always right. Generative AI can produce confident-sounding answers that are incorrect or out of date, sometimes called “hallucinations”.
• It may not work equally well for everyone. If the data used to train a tool doesn’t reflect the whole population, its results may be less accurate for some groups.
• It isn’t for emergencies. If you have chest pain, trouble breathing, signs of a stroke or another emergency, call 000.

How AI in healthcare is regulated in Australia

The TGA and software as a medical device

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) regulates software, including AI, when it’s intended for a medical purpose such as diagnosing, monitoring, predicting or treating a disease or condition. That kind of software is generally a medical device and must be included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) before it can be supplied, unless an exemption or exclusion applies. The TGA explains this on its page about AI and medical device software regulation.

General-purpose chatbots and wellness apps that aren’t intended for a medical purpose usually fall outside this framework, which is one reason to treat their health advice with caution.

AI scribes

According to the TGA’s guidance on digital scribes, a scribe that only transcribes or summarises a consultation is generally not a medical device. If it goes further, for example by suggesting a diagnosis or treatment that the clinician didn’t discuss, it may be regulated as a medical device.

Professional standards

Doctors and other health practitioners must meet their usual professional obligations when they use AI. Ahpra’s guidance highlights accountability, understanding how a tool works and its limits, being transparent with patients, and getting informed consent where patient information is involved.

AI scribes and your consent

AI scribes are becoming more common in GP clinics and telehealth. Because they record or process what you say in a consultation, your practitioner should:

• tell you they’d like to use an AI scribe and what it does
• explain how the recording and notes are handled and stored
• ask for your consent before the consultation is recorded

Ahpra’s guidance notes that recording a consultation without consent may also have legal implications. You can ask questions, and you can say no. Your practitioner still needs to check the notes, because the clinical record remains their responsibility.

Your privacy and AI

Health information is sensitive information under Australian privacy law, and the Privacy Act applies to personal information put into an AI system, as well as what it produces. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) recommends that organisations don’t enter personal information, especially sensitive information, into publicly available generative AI tools. See the OAIC’s guidance on privacy and commercially available AI products and its page on your health information.

For you as a patient, it’s worth thinking twice before typing detailed personal health information, test results or photos into a public chatbot. Check its privacy settings and how your data may be stored or used.

Using AI health information sensibly

• Use it to understand terms or prepare questions, not to diagnose yourself or change treatment.
• Check information against trusted sources such as healthdirect.
• Don’t stop, start or change a prescribed medicine based on chatbot advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist first.
• Be wary of products or treatments promoted by AI-generated content or fake “doctor” videos.
• If you’re worried about a symptom, speak to a GP.

Questions you can ask your healthcare provider

• Do you use any AI tools in my care? What do they do?
• Will my consultation be recorded, and can I say no?
• Where is my information stored, and who can access it?
• Who checks the AI’s output?

Speaking with a Teldoc GP

At Teldoc, your consultation is with an AHPRA-registered GP by phone or video, 7 days a week from 9 am to 7 pm (Sydney time), and most patients are seen within 15 minutes. Your GP can talk through your symptoms, prescribe treatment if clinically appropriate and arrange pathology and radiology referrals. To get the most out of your appointment, see our guide to preparing for a telehealth consultation, or read why your telehealth doctor should be AHPRA registered. Fees are on our fees page.

Frequently asked questions

Can AI diagnose me instead of a doctor?

No. Some approved software can help clinicians by flagging findings, but a registered health practitioner remains responsible for your diagnosis and treatment. General chatbots can’t examine you and can give wrong information.

Is AI in healthcare regulated in Australia?

Yes. The TGA regulates software, including AI, that’s intended for a medical purpose such as diagnosis or treatment, and it generally must be included in the ARTG. Health practitioners using AI must also meet Ahpra’s professional obligations and Australian privacy law.

Can I say no to my doctor using an AI scribe?

Yes. Your practitioner should explain what the scribe does and ask for your consent before recording your consultation. You can decline.

Is it safe to put my health information into a chatbot?

Be cautious. Public AI tools may store or use what you enter. The OAIC recommends organisations don’t enter sensitive personal information into publicly available generative AI tools, and it’s sensible for individuals to take similar care.

Should I change my medicine based on AI advice?

No. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before stopping, starting or changing any medicine.

This article is general health information and isn’t a substitute for advice from your own doctor. If you’re worried about your health, speak to a GP. In an emergency, call 000.

Medically reviewed by Dr Vafa Derakshan (MBBS, FRACGP), September 2026