Two in five Australian GPs use AI scribes to record patient notes – but are they trading care for convenience?

Today, when a patient walks into a GP’s office in Australia, the doctor might start with the question: “Are you comfortable with an AI scribe recording our conversation?”

At least that’s what should happen.

Doctors’ use of AI scribes in Australia has almost doubled from 22% in August 2024 to 40% in November 2025, according to an online survey by the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP).

These AI tools – such as those offered by the Australian company Heidi – record the conversations between doctors and patients, transcribe them and summarize them for medical notes.

“We’re making a big effort to inform patients that we’re using AI and give them the opportunity to opt out. That’s really important,” says Dr. Max Mollenkopf, a Newcastle-based GP. “Just tell patients what’s going on and don’t try to be subtle about it.”

Heidi is increasingly being used by family doctors. The Melbourne-based startup said it had supported more than 115 million sessions worldwide in 18 months.

The increasing…