'AI will not replace doctors,’ says AIG hospitals chairman D Nageshwar Reddy

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to reshape healthcare by making medical services more accessible, affordable and efficient, according to D. Nageshwar Reddy, Chairman of AIG Hospitals. Speaking at the 16th Foundation Day Lecture of the ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education (IFHE), he said AI is set to play a major role in the future of medicine while complementing, not replacing, healthcare professionals.

Delivering a lecture on ‘Artificial Intelligence and the future of healthcare’, Reddy said medicine has always relied on human judgement and compassion. He stressed that AI should be seen as a tool to support doctors rather than a substitute for them, adding that its integration into healthcare is already changing the way diseases are diagnosed, treated and managed.

He said AI is now being used in several areas of healthcare, including drug discovery, radiology, telemedicine, precision medicine, genomics, cancer detection, dermatology and remote patient monitoring. Referring to drug development, he noted that AI has significantly shortened the discovery process, reducing timelines from decades to around two years in some cases.

AI changing hospital operations

D. Nageshwar acknowledged that some medical professionals remain cautious about adopting AI. However, he said the technology is not a replacement for doctors and added that clinicians who embrace AI are likely to be better equipped than those who choose not to use it. According to him, AI has the potential to improve both the speed and quality of healthcare services.

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Sharing examples from AIG Hospitals, he spoke about MIRA, an AI-powered Medical Information Robotic Assistant that supports doctors and nurses, responds to patient queries, reduces waiting time and assists in medical education. He also highlighted iSAVE, an AI-based early warning system that monitors patients continuously and alerts doctors about potential deterioration nearly an hour in advance, enabling quicker medical intervention.

AI supporting diagnosis and treatment

Reddy said AI has also improved the hospital's pre-anaesthesia assessment process by recommending a centralised pre-surgery lounge, reducing the need for patients to move between multiple testing areas. He said this change helped bring down surgery dropout rates from around 20 per cent to nearly one per cent. AI is also being used to manage the hospital's endoscopy services, where about 700 procedures are performed every day.

He added that AI is helping doctors identify fatty liver disease using affordable screening methods based on a few clinical indicators. AI-powered documentation systems are also preparing medical summaries from doctor-patient conversations, allowing doctors to spend more time interacting with patients. The hospital is also working on interoperable medical records that can be shared seamlessly across healthcare institutions.

Responsible use remains essential

D. Nageshwar said AI-assisted analysis of CT scans is improving the early detection of cancer, while wearable AI-enabled devices are helping monitor patients and identify health issues at an early stage. Although AI is often criticised for lacking empathy, he said research suggests it can strengthen patient engagement and communication when used appropriately. He also underlined the importance of addressing issues such as data privacy, ethics, regulation and data quality as AI becomes more widely adopted.

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Concluding his address, Reddy said AI has the potential to extend quality healthcare to millions of people who currently have limited access to medical services, provided it is deployed responsibly. Speaking at the event, ICFAI Chancellor C. Rangarajan said AI is still evolving and should be used carefully to improve the affordability and accessibility of healthcare. The lecture was attended by faculty members, students, researchers and other dignitaries.