Can AI outperform doctors? Experts weigh the pros and cons

LivestreamMenuMake ItselectUSAINTLLivestreamSearch quotes, news & videosLivestreamWatchlistSIGN INCreate free accountMarketsBusinessInvestingTechPoliticsVideoWatchlistInvesting ClubPROLivestreamMenu CONVERGE LIVE - Singapore, 22-23 April 2026 You may already be familiar with AI taking notes in your doctor's office, or being used to help book appointments or analyze medical images. But some experts believe consumers should be using AI even more to help understand their health. "People should be using AI much more than they do today," according to Alex Zhavoronkov, founder and CEO of AI drug discovery company Insilico Medicine. "Many of those AI models that are used by consumers, they actually achieve the level of capability that is close to some of the doctors and sometimes better," Zhavoronkov said, speaking on a panel at CNBC's CONVERGE LIVE event in Singapore on Wednesday. He advocated the use of AI to answer basic health questions, such as: "What should I eat? ... Should I diet?" he said. "Some very basic questions could be answered by an AI physician for you, you actually will save the time with the real doctor," he added. AI is being used in a number of ways in consumer health care. In January, OpenAI launched ChatGPT Health, allowing people to securely connect their medical records and wellness apps to the AI chatbot. The company said the new health experience was not intended for diagnosis and treatment. In the same month, Amazon rolled out its HealthAI tool for members of its primary care chain One Medical, which is designed to provide advice based on medical records, lab results and current medications. Shreehas Tambe, CEO and managing director of biotechnology company Biocon, said he is cautiously optimistic about the use of AI in health care settings, describing a "learning curve" for new users. "Trying to put an evolved technology platform in the hands of someone who is still probably getting a hang of it, I think could lead to more erroneous results," he told CONVERGE LIVE. "Then you could have more challenges than benefits of that technology," Tambe added. AI tools are reducing research time for drugs to get to the developmental candidate stage to 18 months, Zhavoronkov said, compared to more than four years traditionally. Developmental candidates are a part of the drug discovery process that happens before human trials. In March, pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly signed a $2.75 billion deal with Insilico Medicine to bring drugs developed using AI to market. Tambe said it was important for "the human in the loop" to validate AI models used in the discovery of new drugs. "You need these models to be validated by people who understand the science, who can push those boundaries to say, this is the solution that I want these generative models to develop," he said. — CNBC's Ashley Capoot and Annie Palmer contributed to this report. We spoke to over 30 CEOs and business leaders. Here's what worries them mostLee Ying ShanPeople will be 'living and working' on the moon in the 2030s, says space tech CEOLucy Handleywatch nowwatch nowVIDEO02:10Europe facing summer travel disruption as jet fuel demand set to surge: IEA chiefRead MoreSubscribe to CNBC PROSubscribe to Investing ClubLicensing & ReprintsCNBC CouncilsJoin the CNBC PanelDigital ProductsNews ReleasesClosed CaptioningCorrectionsAbout CNBCInternshipsSite MapCareersHelpContactNews TipsGot a confidential news tip? We want to hear from you. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services. © 2026 Versant Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. A Versant Media Company. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis.

Can AI outperform doctors? Experts weigh the pros and cons

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