3 min readMay 18, 2026 05:08 PM IST
Chairperson of the National Medical Commission (NMC) and President of the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (MBEMS), Dr Abhijat Sheth at the HealthAIcon 2026 summit said AI must be used to empower doctors as their roles continue to evolve, saying that the technology should support and not replace a doctor’s clinical expertise.
With the growing advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Medical Dialogues, in association with the National Medical Forum, hosted the first-ever national medical conference, HealthAIcon 2026, to discuss the growing role of AI in healthcare.
The event was held on May 17 in Eros Hotel in Nehru’s place in New Delhi. The event brought together policymakers, clinicians, researchers, innovators, and industry leaders from across the country to discuss the AI brought in transformations in the healthcare sector. HealthAIcon 2026 focused on the adoption of AI in medical settings and promoted discussions around the ethical, safe and quality use of AI in medical practice.
Speaking at the conference, Dr Abhijat Sheth, said AI is already becoming an integral part of healthcare. He stressed that the real challenge in the evolution of AI in medicine lies in preparing doctors and the broader healthcare ecosystem to use AI-driven technologies effectively and responsibility.
“We are not just adopting AI, we are adopting it at scale across a diverse healthcare system, and that brings both opportunity and responsibility,” Sheth said during his address, as quoted by PTI.
Sheth pointed out the gap between medical education and real-world practice, and said the traditional framework must evolve to reflect current realities. “Our education system must accept and reflect the reality,” he said while adding that once the healthcare system implements the new AI reality must be placed on addressing regulatory issues related to the technology.
“This is not about turning a doctor into a technologist. It is about ensuring that every doctor understands what AI can and can’t do, can interpret AI output critically, use AI safely in clinical practice, and maintain independent clinical judgement,” Sheth said.
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The conference also saw the launch of National AI Doctors Mission, an initiative aimed at promoting AI literacy and future-ready skills among healthcare professionals called.
Following Dr Sheth’s keynote address, summit chairman Dr Prem Aggarwal listed out the objectives of the National AI Doctors Mission. Dr Prem said, “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.”
Agarwal added that the initiative is designed to prepare healthcare professionals to use AI responsibly and said that “the goal is to create a structured national movement for safe and effective AI adoption in healthcare.
Agarwal also explained the practical benefits of the technology. He said that AI has the potential to improve diagnosis, accelerate treatment processes, and help bridge gaps between public and private healthcare systems when implemented ethically.
(With inputs from PTI)
