“AI is going to replace doctors.”
It’s a provocative, yet increasingly common fear whispered in hospital corridors and debated in medical forums. For many clinicians, the idea that software could not only analyze data but in the case of Agentic AI, take action evokes a dystopian future of medical decision-making stripped of empathy, nuance and professional judgment.
But fear, in many cases, is a symptom of misunderstanding. And for Agentic AI, it’s a misunderstanding that healthcare IT leaders must urgently help resolve.
What Is Agentic AI?
Agentic AI refers to artificial intelligence systems operating with a degree of autonomy, often governed by parameters and oversight, to perform multi-step context-aware actions to achieve goals. Unlike traditional AI models that passively provide insights or recommendations, Agentic AI can plan, initiate, and complete tasks in dynamic environments.
In healthcare, it can be thought of as the difference between an AI tool that tells you which patients are likely to be readmitted, and one that identifies those patients, drafts a discharge plan, schedules a follow-up appointment and notifies the care team in real time. This is not merely automation. It’s orchestration. A fundamental shift in the use of AI representing a truly revolutionary moment.
This leap from predictive analytics to action-oriented AI is understandably daunting. After all, clinicians have grown accustomed to decision support tools that recommend but don’t “do”. Yet, at Niterra Ventures, we’ve been keeping close tabs on the progress of AI in healthcare and strongly believe agentic systems will transform the way care is offered at several points of contact. That’s why we contend that when clinicians and administrators understand that Agentic AI is not designed to override human expertise but to unburden it from administrative drudgery, their skepticism will transform into enthusiasm.
Why Agentic AI Matters in Healthcare
Physician burnout remains a crisis within the US healthcare system. Studies consistently identify non-clinical workload, such as documentation, administrative tasks and redundant data entry, as a primary cause of physician burnout. Clearly, the EHR, once heralded as a leap forward, has instead become a digital ball and chain for many providers.
Fortunately, Agentic AI offers a way out.
By taking on repetitive, low-value tasks such as clinical documentation, order entry, task routing, and care coordination, Agentic AI frees clinicians to focus on what they trained for: patient care.
This isn’t about taking humans out of the loop. It’s about keeping them in the loop where it counts most; critical thinking, compassion and clinical judgment.
Agentic AI as the New Investment Frontier
Agentic AI represents more than an operational tool. It’s a new paradigm in healthcare innovation and investment. In fact, we believe the next generation of healthtech unicorns will not only provide dashboards or analytics, but will also motivate action in a secure, ethical and scalable way.
We are especially optimistic about startups creating new AI copilots that will work smoothly with existing infrastructures. Emerging startups and enterprise vendors such as Nabla, Ambience Healthcare and Glass Health, do not see EHRs, CRM platforms and payer systems as challenges or needing to be replaced. Rather they are creating “outcomes-as-a-service” platforms that integrate seamlessly with existing health IT systems, turning complex workflows into streamlined, AI-managed services. A modular approach which lowers adoption friction and speeds ROI.
Guardrails for the Future: What IT Leaders Must Consider
As promising as Agentic AI is, its future will hinge on thoughtful implementation and governance, with the following a sampling of a few key areas demanding attention:
- Regulation: Regulators will play a crucial role in setting standards and guidelines for agentic AI. Without a shared model for action safety, the entire system will be put under immediate risk, including misinterpreting visual data (e.g., scans), overriding patient consent protocols or initiating unnecessary duplicate tests. There must be a clear line between the actions that AI agents can initiate on their own and those that need human consensus. These frameworks for validating and certifying AI agents will be essential to ensure safety, reliability, and accountability.
- Interoperability: Agentic AI must function seamlessly across fragmented IT ecosystems. Therefore, interoperability requirements are urgently needed so that these smart systems do not become siloed. The good news is that with initiatives like TEFCA and the rise of FHIR-based APIs, the infrastructure is moving in the right direction. The key is aligning policy, capital and innovation toward a shared goal: reducing clinician burden and improving patient outcomes.
These guardrails are not optional, but essential to sustaining momentum and securing stakeholder trust.
The Action Layer in Modern Medicine
Rather than replacing clinicians, Agentic AI is poised to become the “action layer” in healthcare IT bridging the gap between insights and execution. It complements human judgment, scales limited resources and elevates the role of the clinician by offloading the inessential.
The fear that Agentic AI will replace doctors is understandable, but ultimately misplaced. What should concern us more is the risk of not adopting it: letting our best-trained clinicians drown in administrative tasks while patient needs go unmet.
Healthcare IT leaders have a responsibility to lead with knowledge, not fear. Embrace Agentic AI. Educate stakeholders. Establish safeguards. Invest in platforms that can co-exist with legacy systems. And most importantly, invite clinicians into the process.
Because the future of healthcare isn’t humans vs. machines. It’s humans with intelligent agents, working in tandem to deliver safer, faster, more personalized care.
About Thomas Kluz
Thomas Kluz is a distinguished venture capitalist with over a decade of experience. He’s the Managing Director of Niterra Ventures, where his investments focus on energy, mobility, and healthcare. With deep expertise in healthcare-focused venture capital, he has a proven track record of success with various organizations, such as Qualcomm Ventures and Providence Ventures.
