I Could Only Acknowledge

InnovationHealthcareI Could Only AcknowledgeByDemetri Giannikopoulos,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Health AI leader focused on tech innovation and patient experience.Follow AuthorJun 05, 2026, 09:00am EDTA patient completes a digital intake process at a healthcare facility. As healthcare documentation becomes more automated, questions about transparency and patient access to information are taking on new importance.gettyDuring a recent visit to a health system, I acknowledged that my clinical encounter would be recorded through an ambient AI application. A few minutes later, I walked into the exam room and saw a sign on the wall prohibiting “cell phone use, video recording or pictures” in the area.I realize there is some irony in taking a picture of a sign prohibiting pictures, but the contradiction was so explicit that I felt compelled to document it.The intake screen I had just completed read:“Indicates a required field.*Many providers are now using a new secure app that listens and drafts a note of your visit. If you prefer us not to use this technology, tell your provider at the start of your visit.*I acknowledge”“I acknowledge” was not a checkbox alongside multiple options. It was the only available action on the screen.I want to be very clear from the outset that I am not anti-AI. If anything, I am deeply optimistic about its role in healthcare. Earlier this year, I testified before the United States Senate about the importance of thoughtfully accelerating artificial intelligence across healthcare. My wife and I have also taken active roles in advocating for the safe, thoughtful and ethical deployment of medical AI because these systems are too important to deploy carelessly.MORE FOR YOUWhat struck me almost immediately about the intake language was the degree to which the interaction had already been framed before I arrived in the room. The system was not really asking whether I wanted to participate. It was...