March 4, 2026 Forum

Jeremy

I know my wife would have had a lot more things to say about breast cancer screening had she been called by Tom. And so, I think that may be part of what Bill Bergquist is getting to. Most humans are just not that affable and easy going and immediate.

Bill B

Let me disagree with you. I think a lot of human beings are probably affable. I don’t care if she was AI I think she just wanted to get this guy the hell off the issue of breast screening, because it’s too scary to even think about why I’m not getting that breast cancer screening. So, I think she was quite affable and I suspect she’s going to cancel the appointment.

Mark

Well, if I may, I think that was the point, if you will, by the AI folks that she would take the referral and that she would do it herself. But to me, it was clearly AI. I’m convinced both sides were AI.

Bill B

But I think the question you’re asking, Jeremy, is when will, not could, when will or already when is AI providing agency? And what about therapy? Because obviously, there’s a lot of AI therapy going on.

Mark

Well, if I could, again, interject a personal thing. I currently have a right rotator cuff tear. I’ve had one before. I know what it feels like. I know what the abduction pain feels like. I know it’s worse at night. I set up an appointment with my primary care doctor. I have Kaiser. And it wasn’t a verbal AI, but I texted my primary. And I was told I’d get a response within 48 hours.

Of course, the timestamp, the 48 hour would have been on Saturdays. So, I waited till Monday, well after 48 hours and just said, respectfully, I have not heard for 48 hours. Today, I got a response, which was a questionnaire. And rather than deal with being seen, I suggested perhaps an MRI before I physically saw the person who I can’t get in to see until March 11. So, I thought, you know, it would be a waste of time to wait two weeks, get the MR who says, well, we should do an MRI. I wanted that real person to have that information in front of them.

Instead, I got a questionnaire about my alcohol use and my physical activity. And so, I’m thinking, okay, I could play this game too. And they wanted to know how active I was.

And I said, well, until I had my shoulder, I swam 900 yards three times a week. And I did Tai Chi, but I can’t even do the arm movements because of my rotator cuff. Is that under comments? And I noticed that even in the comments, the first time, if you gave a number, then it went to the next question. So, in order to put that down, I actually entered the comments first. So, I’m not real pleased with the development of AI at this juncture anyway, from my own personal experience.