Finding Time for Empathy in the Age of AI

by Dr. James C. Wittig

Over the course of my career, I have witnessed medicine transformed many times by technology. Some of these innovations have made our work faster or more precise. Others have created new challenges that distance us from our patients. Artificial intelligence is the latest development to enter the conversation, and while many see it as a threat to the role of physicians, I believe it has the potential to give us something invaluable back: time for empathy.

Every doctor knows the tension that comes with balancing patient care against endless documentation, charting, and administrative duties. We enter medicine to heal, to listen, and to guide—but too often we find ourselves staring at screens instead of into the eyes of our patients. This reality takes its toll not only on physicians but also on those we serve, who feel rushed or unheard.

This is where AI, if implemented wisely, can make a profound difference. By taking on many of the repetitive, time-consuming tasks that weigh down our days, AI has the potential to free us to return to the essence of medicine: being fully present with the person in front of us. It can give back the minutes that allow a physician to sit a little longer, to hear a patient’s fears in full, or to offer encouragement without glancing at the clock.

There is another way AI can support empathy—by reminding us of the importance of how we speak. In moments of fatigue, stress, or urgency, even the most caring physician may struggle to find words that reflect compassion as clearly as they feel it. AI can suggest language that helps us convey empathy more consistently, not to replace our human presence, but to strengthen it. It is not a substitute for the warmth of human care, but a prompt that helps us better express what is already in our hearts.

Of course, caution is needed. Machines cannot feel compassion. They can imitate it, but they cannot live it. That responsibility will always remain with us. It is essential that we use AI transparently, with careful oversight, and always as a partner rather than a replacement.

When I reflect on the future of medicine, I am hopeful. Not because AI will solve all our challenges, but because it may give us back the most precious resource we have to offer: time. Time to listen without rushing, to comfort without distraction, and to be present in the moments that matter most.

AI, in this way, is not the end of human medicine. If we allow it, it may be the beginning of a more human medicine—one where empathy, trust, and connection are not overshadowed by the weight of tasks, but brought back to the center where they belong.