Concerns Over AI Integration in New York Hospitals

Nurse leaders in New York are expressing strong discontent towards the city’s hospital system, which they claim is introducing artificial intelligence tools in a quiet, hasty manner that jeopardizes both their jobs and patient safety.

At a recent State of Nursing committee meeting, nurses highlighted that hospital administrators and healthcare organizations have already poured vast sums—hundreds of millions—into developing these language models, often without consulting frontline staff.

“What happens if the system fails? How do we keep track of patient care then?” asked Nancy Hagans, president of the New York State Nurses Association, during the November 18 meeting. Her question echoed a deep concern among her peers.

“Hospitals tend to rely on AI to handle everything, but we’re sidelined in critical decisions,” noted Hagans, who has extensive experience at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn. She emphasized the importance of nurse involvement in decision-making processes, as these choices directly influence patient care.

Hagans recounted a chilling incident at Maimonides where staff discovered medical instruments affixed to ICU patients by pharmaceutical representatives, but without prior notice or training. This incident raised further questions about safety and oversight in the increasingly tech-driven environment.

NYSNA board president Denash Forbes, who served at Mount Sinai West for nearly four decades, critiqued the hospital’s substantial, undisclosed investments in healthcare AI. She pointed out that innovations like the new AI assistant, Sofiya, could lead to more errors and diminish the role of human nurses.

“Nurses should double-check Sofiya’s tasks to ensure she doesn’t err,” Forbes remarked, reflecting her apprehension about AI technology’s reliability in critical settings.

In defense of the technology, Robbie Freeman, chief digital transformation officer at Mount Sinai, stated that AI is intended to complement clinical decision-making rather than replace healthcare providers entirely.

However, local nurses and leaders view the move as reducing costs at the expense of nursing expertise, seeing it more as a replacement than a support tool. “When hospitals cut corners like this, they often lead to mistakes and amplify bias, generating more work in the long run,” Forbes noted.

The rise of AI has prompted industry leaders to advocate for protections against potential job losses in recent contract negotiations. “AI must not take the place of nurses. We need real human presence at the bedside for actual patient care,” Hagans asserted.

Brooklyn City Council member Mercedes Narcisse, who is also a registered nurse, added her voice to the criticism, saying, “Honestly, I wouldn’t want AI or robots responsible for my care.”

As New York City hospitals progressively adopt AI technology, this trend reflects a broader national movement. A recent study indicates that about one in three Americans interact with AI to manage their health, although there have been cases where misleading medical guidance—like that offered by ChatGPT—has sent patients to emergency rooms.