This article contains spoilers for The Pitt Season 2 Episode 2.
It’s no secret that The Pitt doesn’t shy away from hot topics and social issues. Its Season 1 outing wasn’t afraid to explore racial dynamics, abuse, and social media among other things. Prior to its Season 2 debut, the showrunners had also confirmed that this season would touch on the impact of Trump’s One Big, Beautiful Bill, how healthcare budget cuts would affect those in the ER, and how those effects ripple outwards.
So far, The Pitt Season 2 is off to a strong start with its first episode reacquainting us with the main cast and introducing a few new faces in the process. It looks like the show is ready to start getting the debate ball rolling though, as Episode 2 has kickstarted the AI debate, a topic that’s only becoming increasingly prevalent in our society.
Newcomer Dr. Al-Hashimi has been set up to step on some toes and ruffle some feathers. As the main newcomer in Season 2 who’s poised to cover for Dr. Robby during his sabbatical, she’s introduced new additions to the ER workflow to help make things more efficient and up those patient satisfaction scores (OFIs, anyone?). She briefly mentions her usage of AI in the first episode, but this week is where we get to see it properly in action.
While diagnosing a patient, Dr. Al-Hashimi opens an app on her phone and proceeds with her examination while recording the patient’s responses and her own checks. By the time the examination is done, the app relays all the information to a web interface where we see that most of the charting and paperwork that doctors are so often bogged down by is already done.
On the surface, this is a fantastic tool. After all, less paperwork means more time for the doctors to tend to their patients, right? But on closer inspection, Whitaker notes that some of the details are wrong. The patient only takes a particular medicine before sleeping, but the notes don’t reflect that accurately. Dr. Al-Hashimi is quick to say that while the program is excellent, it’s not always accurate and still requires some proofreading and checking. “Almost intelligent,” Joy Kwon quips.
Earlier on in the episode, she gets into a few more scuffles with Dr. Robby as they briefly debate whether AI can really be a useful tool in a field that requires a human touch. After all, a computer can’t produce a gut feeling, as both Santos and McKay quickly demonstrate. An AI could look at the facts and produce a treatment plan, but only a human doctor can look beyond the facts and see if there’s anything else to be dug up underneath the surface.
The Pitt uses Michael Williams as the main example of this; a man suffers from a knee and wrist injury, but his disposition changes every time McKay checks in on him. And to top it all off, he can’t seem to recall what just happened 10 minutes ago. AI might simply look at his superficial injuries and propose treatment based on that, but as McKay says, her gut tells her that there’s something much more insidious happening with him. She then proposes a CT scan — which Dr. Robby quickly approves of — while Dr. Al-Hashimi gives him a dubious look.
The Pitt isn’t necessarily saying anything new here but it’s nice to see the show take a stand on what is shaping up to be the biggest technological advancement of the 21st century. With the rise of AI and the threat it poses to human jobs, The Pitt seems to want to stand on the side of humans and state firmly that over-reliance on a machine will never be the answer. We see Dr. Al-Hashimi advocating for the program as Ogilvie watches in awe, and I’m willing to bet that this is going to come back in a bigger way down the line in Season 2.
Of course, I expect The Pitt‘s take on AI to be much more nuanced than just “AI bad, humankind forever”, as I’m sure Dr. Al-Hashimi will inevitably go through a full, proper character arc over the course of this shift, where she develops from her rigid, mechanical style of doctoring, to adopt one that’s much more flexible and willing to adapt to her ever-changing circumstances. Her AI program will have its uses, but it’ll also inevitably come up short in situations that call for a human touch.
In a world that’s looking increasingly grim and dour as AI threatens to make us question the legitimacy of everything we see, though, it’s comforting to see a highly critically acclaimed, award-winning show like The Pitt reaffirm our value as human beings.
The Pitt is now available for streaming on HBO Max.
