HBO’s medical drama is delving into an intriguing narrative about the allure and concerns of generative AI.
Each episode of HBO’s *The Pitt* showcases medical trauma that gives the hospital drama a horror-like feel. Patients face severe injuries and infections, while the ER’s chaos often leaves central characters distressed. However, the unsettling subplot about hospitals implementing generative AI is more alarming.
In its second season, *The Pitt* covers the events of a single 15-hour shift in the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center’s ER, set on a busy Fourth of July, as Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch (Noah Wyle) works one last shift before his sabbatical. Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi (Sepideh Moafi) is brought in to lead in Dr. Robby’s absence, causing some friction over her push for AI-powered transcription software.
As the day intensifies, second-year resident Dr. Trinity Santos (Isa Briones) struggles to keep up with patient charting. Dr. Al-Hashimi believes AI-generated transcripts could help, yet both doctors are shocked when a surgeon confronts them about glaring errors in the AI-produced charts.
Instead of quickly condemning AI, *The Pitt* explores why medical professionals might be drawn to such technology and stresses the need for skepticism. Dr. Al-Hashimi champions the software but warns that the responsibility lies with the doctors. Her cautionary approach acknowledges real-world AI-related malpractice cases and studies highlighting AI’s unreliability in predicting health outcomes. The show illustrates how AI might add more workload, potentially causing burnout.
This season emphasizes that technology isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. While AI helps Dr. Santos with charting, it can’t solve systemic issues like understaffing or surges in patient numbers due to other hospitals’ shutdowns. The challenges faced by characters, such as overwhelmed medical staff, mirror real-world hospital crises. To truly manage workloads, *The Pitt*’s staff needs additional support and resources, especially amid a nursing shortage.
*The Pitt* could eventually portray AI-related operating room errors leading to lawsuits, but it wisely starts by highlighting the limitations of technology in addressing fundamental workplace issues.