AI already a part of clinical environment, medical education must adapt: NMC Chief Dr Abhijat Sheth

New Delhi: On the future of medical education in the era of artificial intelligence, National Medical Commission chairperson Dr Abhijat Sheth recently stressed that India's healthcare education system must evolve in line with the growing integration of AI into clinical practice.

He pointed out that if doctors continue to be trained only within traditional frameworks, a disconnect may emerge between classroom learning and real-world healthcare delivery, where AI is increasingly becoming part of the clinical environment. 

HealthAIcon 2026, a first-of-its-kind national platform focused on advancing Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare, concluded successfully on May 17, 2026, at Eros Hotel, New Delhi. Organised by Medical Dialogues in association with the National Medical Forum, the conference brought together policymakers, clinicians, researchers, innovators, and industry leaders from across the country.

Speaking at the conference, Chairman of the summit, Dr Prem Aggarwal stated, ‘The National AI Doctors Mission aims to build awareness, create structured learning pathways, and ensure the responsible and ethical clinical use of AI in healthcare.”

 “We are not preparing for the hype around artificial intelligence; we are preparing doctors, researchers, institutions, and policymakers to use AI responsibly. The goal is to create a structured national movement for safe and effective AI adoption in healthcare," Dr Aggarwal added.

Dr Seth further said, “As chairman of the NMC, my primary concern is medical education. Because ultimately, the future of healthcare will depend on how we prepare our doctors for tomorrow. If we continue to train doctors only within the traditional framework, we risk creating a gap between what is taught and what is practised. AI is already a part of the clinical environment now. Our education system must accept and deflect that reality. And certainly, that gives us more responsibility to work on regulatory issues related to AI.”

On the evolving role of the doctors, he said every doctor in India should be empowered and understand the use of AI responsibly. This is not about turning a doctor into a technologist. It is about ensuring that every doctor understands what AI can and can’t. It can interpret AI output critically, use AI safely in clinical practice, and maintain independent clinical judgement.

In his concluding remarks, Dr Seth said that AI is already becoming an integral part of healthcare, and the real challenge lies in preparing doctors and healthcare systems to use it responsibly and effectively. He stressed that with thoughtful leadership, collaboration between healthcare and technology experts, and the right preparation, India has the potential to lead the global transformation of AI-driven healthcare in an ethical, patient-centric, and impactful manner.