Dr Abhijat Sheth at HealthAIcon May 18

Dr Abhijat Sheth used a New Delhi healthcare conference this week to make a narrow but consequential point about artificial intelligence in medicine: the technology is already entering clinical work, and medical training has to catch up. The National Medical Commission chairperson told delegates at HealthAIcon 2026 that India is adopting AI across a large and uneven healthcare system, and that the central challenge is not whether AI will appear in care settings, but how doctors and institutions are prepared to use it. He said AI should support clinical expertise rather than replace it. Conference coverage and wire reports said the event was held in New Delhi on May 17. ### What exactly did Sheth say about AI in medicine? Dr Abhijat Sheth said AI is “already becoming an integral part of healthcare,” and told the conference that doctors and health systems must be prepared to use it “responsibly and effectively,” according to PTI-based reports carried by multiple outlets. He also said India was adopting AI “at scale” across a diverse healthcare system, a formulation repeated in conference coverage. (medicaldialogues.in) The National Medical Commission chief also drew a line around AI’s role. The Indian Express reported that Sheth said AI must be used to empower doctors as their roles evolve, and that the technology should support, not replace, a doctor’s clinical expertise. ### Why did he focus so heavily on medical education? (edexlive.com) Medical Dialogues reported on May 18 that Sheth said medical education must evolve alongside AI’s growing integration into clinical practice. He warned that if doctors continue to be trained only within traditional frameworks, training could drift away from the realities of modern care environments. (indianexpress.com) The Economic Times said Sheth argued doctors must be able to critically interpret and safely use AI while maintaining clinical judgment. That framing put education, not only software deployment, at the center of the discussion. (medicaldialogues.in) ### Where was this said, and who was in the room? HealthAIcon 2026 was held at Eros Hotel in New Delhi on May 17, according to conference coverage published by Medical Dialogues and other outlets. The event was described as a national platform focused on AI in healthcare and was organized by Medical Dialogues in association with the National Medical Forum. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) ABP Live said the conference brought together policymakers, doctors and innovators to discuss ethical AI adoption and future-ready healthcare solutions. Medical Dialogues said participants included clinicians, researchers, educators, technologists, startups and industry leaders. ### Was this only about caution, or were there concrete initiatives too? (health.medicaldialogues.in) HealthAIcon coverage said the conference also featured the launch of the National AI Doctors Mission, described as an effort to improve AI literacy among healthcare professionals. Short-format coverage by Inshorts and a conference report by Medical Dialogues both linked the launch to the event’s wider focus on responsible adoption and accessible, technology-driven care. (news.abplive.com) The conference agenda and related coverage also pointed to sessions on AI governance, workforce readiness and medical training. Those themes aligned with Sheth’s remarks that scaling AI in India’s health system carries both opportunity and responsibility. ### What comes next after the conference remarks? The National AI Doctors Mission is the clearest next marker to watch after the New Delhi event, because conference reports tied it directly to AI literacy and clinician preparedness. (inshorts.com) Future updates are likely to come through the National Medical Commission, Medical Dialogues’ conference coverage and follow-on reporting around implementation of training and governance initiatives discussed at HealthAIcon. (medicaldialogues.in) (health.medicaldialogues.in)