In a study published in JAMA, participants evaluated AI-generated responses as superior in quality and more empathetic compared to responses from human doctors. The phrase "First do no harm" from the Hippocratic Oath is well-remembered as the ethical vow of healthcare professionals. Although healthcare providers are implicitly trusted to adhere to this code, the same level of trust may not be extended to artificial intelligence (AI). According to research conducted by the UK's National Health Service (NHS), only 41% of individuals trust AI to support doctors in decision-making and diagnoses. Survey respondents expressed more confidence in decisions made primarily by human healthcare professionals, with AI playing a supportive role. Given the sensitive and critical nature of healthcare decisions, it is understandable to seek complete trust in the decision-maker. The question arises as to how trust in AI can be increased. A common concern pertains to the accuracy of diagnoses. However, research demonstrates that AI has been outperforming doctors for years. An article in the April 2023 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Internal Medicine revealed that chatbots surpassed doctors in answering patient queries. Participants in the study rated AI-generated responses as higher in quality and more empathetic than those provided by human doctors. Similar findings have been published in the Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology Journal regarding AI's use in mammographic screening and the Nature Communications Journal in the context of general medical diagnosis.

While further research is necessary, disseminating knowledge of these results may help alleviate patients' mistrust in the accuracy of AI diagnoses. However, the mere accuracy of a decision is only one aspect of building trust. Another crucial factor lies in the source. While a layperson may offer accurate legal advice, we are more inclined to trust the same information coming from a qualified lawyer. Similarly, to establish trust in healthcare, we must look to Hippocrates and his successor, Asimov. In AD 275, Hippocrates stated, "First do no harm, " emphasizing the importance of benevolence in healthcare. Centuries later, science fiction writer Isaac Asimov introduced his three laws of robotics, which echo the ideals of the Greek physician and serve as the foundation for benevolent actions and outputs of automatons. Although implementing these laws is complex (a study in Volume 10 of the Journal of Law and the Biosciences in 2023 highlighted the challenges posed by competing human rights), efforts to program AI with benevolence and raise patient awareness about this may contribute to building trust. In fact, AI may become more trustworthy than humans, as the latter possess free will, irrespective of whether they have taken The Hippocratic Oath, while 'Asimov AI' would be entirely bound to avoiding harm to patients. Despite AI's vast potential, its application in healthcare is still in its early stages. Prioritizing trust may enable the healthcare system to benefit from AI's extensive knowledge.