AI Literacy, Safety & Ethics in Holistic Practice
Safeguarding Patients and Practitioners in the Age of AI
The “Dr. AI” phenomenon is already in your waiting room.
AI is already being built as part of all digital infrastructure whether you like it or not.
Finding the Balance: Where Do You Stand with AI in your Clinic?
AI is here to stay. It’s already likely affecting you and your practice. It doesn’t matter if you are a Medical Herbalist, a Nutritional Therapist, Acupuncturist, Iridologist, Functional Doctor or any other form of Naturopath. In fact, if you use emails & search engines then you are already likely using it even if you aren’t “actively” wanting to and soon all of our phones will have “Edge AI” where AI is built into the device. This is why I am drawing from my tech background experience and knowledge to help practitioners, Professional Associations & Organisations to take the appropriate measures to safeguard themselves and their patients while we enter this new age of AI.
You might tell yourself that you aren’t bothering with AI
OR
You might tell yourself that you are confident in using AI
But do you truly understand how it can impact you and your clinic?
Most practitioners fall somewhere on the spectrum between the following two traps.
Both are dangerous for your practice without appropriate understanding of what AI IS and WHAT IT IS NOT.
The Luddite
“I don’t use AI. I refuse to go near it.”
I don’t believe in AI. I ignore it because I am a technophobe or for ethical and sustainable concerns.
The Trap:
You might think you can opt out, but your patients cannot. They are already arriving with “Dr. AI” diagnoses, 10 to 20 page AI-written protocols, and dangerous herbal interactions verified by chatbots. In addition, it’s no longer a matter of choice if you want to use the internet. AI is being integrated into every internet service. Your inbox, your search engine and soon, our mobile phones!
The Reality:
If you cannot explain to your patient technically and clearly why the machine might be wrong, you lose authority. You are the safety barrier. Ignoring AI today is like ignoring the internet in 1999, it leaves your patients unprotected.
The Over-Relier
“I use it for everything!”
AI is Great! I use ChatGPT for everything. It’s part of my daily workflow in my clinic and for my patients.
The Trap:
Do you know how to spot when the AI is “hallucinating” a study to please you? Do you use it for menial tasks? Do you know about the specialised AI tools that will only use the information you give it? Are you feeding patient case notes into a public model? (A GDPR/HIPAA breach). Do you know which models are GDPR/HIPAA compliant for your patients?
The Reality:
Over-reliance leads to “hollowing out” your practice. You risk becoming a transcriber rather than a healer, missing the subtle energetics and intuition that no algorithm can replicate. Ultimately loosing your clinical edge.
The 3 Main Hidden Dangers of AI that affect YOU and YOUR patient!
Hallucinations (The Confident Liar)
AI models are prediction engines, not truth engines. They routinely invent non-existent studies, cite toxic dosages for herbs, or fabricate nutrient interactions with 100% confidence.
Sycophancy (The Echo Chamber)
AI is trained to please the user. If a patient asks for a restricted fad diet or presents a delusion, the AI will validate their bias rather than challenging it with clinical wisdom.
Regurgitation (Loss of Soul)
AI scrapes data but strips away context. It ignores energetics, constitution, and the “therapeutic relationship,” reducing our complex modalities to mere data points. This is behind the term “AI Slop”.
We urgently need to talk about AI as holistic practitioners!
Regulatory bodies such as GMC are already actively looking into AI, the dangers, the benefits have made it clear: Human responsibility is absolute. If you use AI to assist your practice, you are liable for its errors.
This is a call to action for our Professional Associations and organisations. Generic medical regulations are not enough. We need specific governance for our fields in sectors such as:
Privacy: Why feeding patient case notes into ChatGPT is a breach of trust. However, other AI software is fully GDPR/DPA & HIPAA compliant. Do you know which ones?
Education: The lack of education for practitioners in understanding the nature of AI and it’s safe use is alarming as this technology is being deployed faster than the communities of practitioners can keep up. We should be actively discussing about integrating AI literacy policies and safety measures into the code of ethics, constitutions and core curricula of schools.
Safety: What protocols for vetting AI training data exist for spotting bias against natural interventions? What safeguards or campaigns are in place for our trades against AI’s influence on the public, in particular regarding Naturopathy, Herbal Medicine, Nutritional therapy and any other complementary therapies?
But it’s not all bad…
AI can also help us thrive as a Naturopathic community.
But first we need to understand what it IS vs What it IS NOT.
There are plenty of AI tools, and many more coming up that can be used ethically and safely so long as the correct protocols and safeguards for use are set in place.
This is why I am running workshops and consultancy programs for clinicians and organisations who wish to seek to enhance their understanding of the emerging age of AI.
Get “AI Literate” – The theory and practice to “Drive” AI safely and deal with patients using AI appropriately.
For now, I run regular deep-dives to equip practitioners with the skills to correct “Dr. AI,” protect patient data, and how to use these tools safely. This is in an attempt to bring practitioners up to speed with AI developments while their associations catch up with their own policies.
You can see my upcoming workshops below. You can also book me for a private consultancy, just get in touch!
Common Questions
I’m just but a simple Naturopath, not a techie. Surely I don’t need this? – WRONG !
Because your patients will bring you AI-generated meal plans that ignore their specific gut history. You must be the expert who can explain why the machine is wrong.
Is it safe to put client notes into ChatGPT?
No ! Or at least not if you use the FREE version (of any Large Language Model) and ensure that you have adequate privacy settings set in place.
I can teach you how to use “Private/Local” AI tools that comply with GDPR/DPA/HIPAA, ensuring you never feed Big Tech your client’s private health data.
Will AI replace holistic practitioners?
AI cannot read a pulse, assess tongue quality, or build genuine trust. It can not hold a human’s hand nor has it intuition.
Although, Humans using AI ethically will replace those who ignore the risks. I’m not saying you have to embrace using it, but you need to know about it just as much as you know your anatomy and the intricacies of your modality
I already know everything about AI and confidently use it. – Are you sure?
Maybe you are right. What am I to say. But I have a few questions for you to check if that statement is true:
Do you know what a token is?
Do you know the “context” of the AI tool you are using?
Are you aware about sycophancy, hallucinations and regurgitation? How to spot them?
Do you know what an LLM (Large Language Model like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude etc…) is in comparison to the an AGIs? (or at least non-existent to the public).
If you answer no to any of these questions, then you are not safely using AI.
Who does it affect?
Everyone! Herbalists, Naturopaths, Nutritional Therapists, Acupuncturists, Iridologists, the list goes on. No one will be void of AI’s reach and influence. We need to take measures now to safeguard our clinics, our patients and professional associations.