If AI Sets the Standard… Who Owns the Decision?
Yesterday I introduced the idea of an AI-Adjusted Standard of Care.
If that’s true, there’s a second question that follows:
If AI raises the standard…
who is actually responsible when something goes wrong?
Because the reality is:
AI does not make decisions in isolation.
It:
- surfaces information
- structures documentation
- influences how clinicians think
But the clinician is still the one:
- reviewing
- approving
- acting
So where does responsibility sit?
If a clinician ignores an AI-generated signal—
is that negligence?
If they follow it—and it’s wrong—
is that still their decision?
We’re entering a space where:
Decision-making is shared
But accountability is not
And that creates tension.
Because the legal system still assumes:
A clearly identifiable decision-maker.
That assumption may no longer hold.
If AI helps define the standard of care…
it inevitably reshapes responsibility as well.