Robert Pearl: What HBO's 'The Pitt' gets wrong about AI in medicine

The show accurately captured the tension between AI's advocates and skeptics, but missed the technology's transformative potential.

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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While the HBO show 'The Pitt' accurately portrayed the current tensions between physicians eager to adopt generative AI and those wary of its risks, it overlooked the technology's broader impact on the future of healthcare. The episode focused on AI's limitations in an emergency room setting, but failed to explore its growing capabilities in managing chronic diseases and improving patient outcomes.

Why it matters

The debate around generative AI in medicine is shifting from whether it belongs in healthcare to how it can be deployed most effectively. As the technology continues to advance, its greatest impact is likely to be in helping manage chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes, where more continuous monitoring and earlier interventions can lead to significantly better outcomes.

The details

The episode accurately depicts the current split among physicians, with two-thirds reporting use of generative AI tools in practice, though half insist on stronger safeguards. The show highlights concerns about AI making mistakes that could harm patients, as well as fears that the technology will eventually override clinical judgment and diminish the physician's role. However, the episode overstates human performance compared to AI, failing to acknowledge the high rates of misdiagnoses and preventable medical errors made by clinicians working alone.

  • The episode of 'The Pitt' titled '8:00 A.M.' aired in 2026.

The players

Dr. Michael 'Robby' Rabinovitch

A veteran emergency physician who is wary of new technology.

Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi

A temporary replacement physician who is more enthusiastic about adopting generative AI tools, such as an AI documentation application called Ambient Listening.

Robert Pearl

The author of 'ChatGPT, MD' and a former CEO of The Permanente Medical Group, who teaches at both the Stanford University School of Medicine and the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

What’s next

As generative AI continues to advance, the central debate will shift from whether the technology belongs in medicine to how it can be deployed most effectively to benefit patients. The focus will likely move beyond acute care settings like emergency rooms and hospitals, and towards managing chronic diseases, where more continuous monitoring and earlier interventions can lead to significantly better outcomes.

The takeaway

While 'The Pitt' accurately captured the current tensions around generative AI in medicine, it overlooked the technology's transformative potential in managing chronic conditions and improving patient outcomes. As the debate evolves, the key question will be how doctors and AI can partner to deliver superior quality care at lower costs, rather than pitting humans against machines.