TLDR: The rapid integration of AI scribes in New Zealand’s healthcare system is sparking significant ethical debate, focusing on data security, patient consent, and the impact on the doctor-patient relationship. A recent study reveals 40% of primary care doctors are using these tools, yet many fail to secure explicit patient consent or fully review terms and conditions. While offering potential time savings, concerns persist regarding accuracy and the unique challenges of New Zealand’s linguistic and data sovereignty landscape.
The increasing adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) scribes within New Zealand’s healthcare sector has ignited a robust ethical debate, prompting calls for clearer legal and ethical oversight. These AI-powered tools, designed to transcribe patient notes during consultations, are being rapidly integrated into primary care practices, despite ongoing challenges related to data security, patient consent, and their broader impact on the crucial doctor-patient relationship.
Recent research led by Professor Angela Ballantyne, a primary healthcare and general practice bioethicist at the University of Otago (Wellington), highlights the scale of this adoption and the accompanying concerns. A survey conducted in February and March 2024, involving 197 health providers primarily consisting of General Practitioners (GPs), revealed that a significant 40% are currently utilizing AI scribes for patient note-taking. Alarmingly, only 66% of these users had reportedly read the terms and conditions of the software, and a mere 59% reported seeking explicit patient consent for its use.
Professor Ballantyne emphasized the critical data security implications, stating, “Most AI-scribes rely on international cloud-based platforms — often privately owned and controlled — for processing and storing data, which raises questions about where data is stored, who has access to it, and how it can be protected from cyber threats.” She further highlighted the unique challenges for New Zealand, adding, “There are also Aotearoa-specific data governance issues that need to be recognised and resolved — particularly around Māori data sovereignty.”
While many surveyed clinicians found AI scribes beneficial, with 47% estimating daily time savings of 30 minutes to two hours, a ‘significant minority’ reported that the software did not save time overall due to the extensive editing and correction required for AI-generated notes. Professor Ballantyne cautioned, “[Doctors] need to be vigilant about checking patient notes for accuracy. However, as many survey respondents noted, carefully checking each AI-generated clinical note eats into, and sometimes negates any time savings.” Concerns also emerged regarding the AI’s ability to accurately understand New Zealand accents, local vocabulary, and te reo Māori.
In response to the growing use of these technologies, Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora’s National Artificial Intelligence and Algorithm Expert Advisory Group (NAIAEAG) endorsed two ambient AI scribe tools, Heidi Health and iMedX, for use by clinicians in July 2025. Robyn Whittaker, Chair of NAIAEAG, explained, “These tools convert clinician-patient conversations and produce draft clinical notes for manual transfer into clinical records. The aim is to reduce clinicians’ administrative workload allowing them to focus on the patient.” She confirmed that “Patients will be asked for consent when clinicians are using AI during their consultations,” and stressed that only approved, enterprise-level versions of these tools are endorsed, with free versions lacking the necessary security and contractual guarantees.
Thomas Kelly, CEO and co-founder of Heidi Health, articulated the potential benefits from a developer’s perspective: “Healthcare providers in New Zealand are facing many of the same issues that we are solving for their counterparts globally: an underfunded and overburdened workforce that is being asked to do more with less. They, and their patients, deserve better, and we believe AI is uniquely positioned to help streamline their administrative burden, improve the quality of clinician work and patient care.” Additionally, Health NZ is piloting its own AI scribe tool, Tuhi, developed with Māori-owned tech company Awa Digital.
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Further guidance is anticipated, with the Medical Council of New Zealand expected to release its own recommendations on AI use in health later this year, likely reinforcing the requirement for patient consent. The ongoing integration of AI scribes underscores the urgent need for comprehensive frameworks that balance technological advancement with robust ethical safeguards and patient trust.
