AIF Insights No. 11 (2026) | Applying Generative AI in Clinical Care – From Assistant to Ally: Practical, Safe Use at the Point of Care

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is becoming more accessible to doctors, but its application in real-world clinical care poses unique safety, ethical, and professional hazards. This insight offers practical, task-oriented recommendations for using GenAI ethically in everyday clinical work while maintaining human judgment and accountability. The insight is intended for medical students, residents, and practicing physicians, particularly in resource- constrained settings like Cambodia. It focuses on high-value clinical tasks such as supporting diagnostic reasoning, planning investigations, communicating with patients and families, and assisting clinical documentation. Rather than stressing conceptual theory, this insight applies principles, such as effective prompting and the Model-Mode-Verification structure. The key message is clear: GenAI can only increase clinical clarity and efficiency if clinicians remain completely responsible and human-in-the-loop.