https://doi.org/10.4081/ecj.2026.15615
The productivity trap: will AI restore presence or accelerate throughput?
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Published: 10 July 2026
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is frequently promoted as a solution for "administrative excavation," aimed at reducing physician burnout. However, current economic frameworks risk pivoting this newfound efficiency toward increased patient volume (throughput) rather than restoring clinical presence. To analyze the systemic barriers preventing AI from reclaiming the vocational essence of medicine and to propose a shift in healthcare governance. The perceived superior empathy of AI chatbots reflects the "Taylorization" of clinical work. Without a fundamental redefinition of "productive work," time saved by AI will likely be treated as a vacuum for revenue maximization. Governance must transition from measuring raw volume to valuing the physician’s presence as a non-fungible clinical asset essential for quality emergency care.
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