Is an AI Listening In at Your Doctor's Office? What Service Members and Veterans Need to Know

Adapted from Kim Komando, The Current Newsletter, April 23, 2026

Here's something your doctor probably hasn't mentioned — there may be an AI in the room with you.

At about one in three doctor's offices across the country, an AI scribe is quietly recording your entire visit. Everything you say. Your symptoms, your medications, that random thing you mentioned because you were nervous. It transcribes the whole conversation and drafts the official note that goes into your medical record.

Tools like Nuance's DAX Copilot, Abridge, Suki, and Epic's system are spreading fast — and most patients have no idea it's even happening.

The upside is real, honestly. Your doctor isn't hunched over a keyboard anymore. You're getting actual eye contact and a real conversation. Visits feel more human. That's not nothing.

But here's where it gets a little uncomfortable.

These AI systems aren't perfect. They miss things, skip context, and sometimes include details that were never actually said. Your doctor is supposed to review the notes before anything is saved to your chart — but let's be honest, not everyone has the time to read carefully.

That note ends up in your permanent medical record. Insurance companies can see it. Future doctors will read it. It could even end up with data brokers.

And your audio recording? That lives on the vendor's servers. Some companies delete it fast. Some hold onto it to train their AI. Some won't even tell you what they do with it. HIPAA protects your medical record — not necessarily the recording of your visit.

For most patients, an inaccurate AI-generated note is an inconvenience. For a service member or veteran going through the Military Evaluation Board or Physical Evaluation Board process, it can be something far more serious.

Your medical records are the foundation of your disability case. The Narrative Summary — the NARSUM — that drives your MEB is built directly from your treatment records. If an AI scribe misses a symptom you described, omits the severity of your condition, or generates a note that understates how your injury or illness affects your daily function and military duties, that error can follow you through the entire PEB process.

I have seen cases where a service member clearly described debilitating symptoms to their treating physician — symptoms that were never captured accurately in the medical record because the documentation process failed somewhere along the way. By the time the NARSUM was drafted, the record simply did not reflect the reality of the soldier's condition.

Correcting those errors after the fact is possible, but it is harder, slower, and less certain than getting the record right in the first place.

You don't need anyone's permission to ask these questions. No federal law requires your doctor to get your written consent before using an AI scribe, but nothing stops you from speaking up either.

1. Are you using an AI scribe today?

Just ask. If the answer is yes, you know what you're dealing with.

2. What company is it, and do they keep the audio?

Some vendors delete recordings quickly. Some retain them indefinitely to train their AI models. You have a right to know.

3. Can I review the notes before they're finalized?

Many practices will allow this. If you are in the MEB/PEB process, I strongly encourage you to request a copy of your visit notes and review them carefully. If something is missing or inaccurate, flag it immediately — before it becomes part of your permanent record.

4. Can I opt out?

In most cases, yes. A good doctor will welcome the question. If you get a vague non-answer, that tells you something too.

If you are currently going through the MEB or PEB process, treat every medical appointment as part of your case — because it is. That means:

• Be specific and thorough when describing your symptoms. Don't minimize. Don't assume your doctor already knows how bad it is on your worst days.
• Ask for your visit notes and review them before your next appointment. If something is wrong, request a correction in writing.
• Keep your own records. Write down what you told your doctor after each visit. If there is ever a discrepancy between what you said and what the record shows, your own contemporaneous notes can help support a correction or rebuttal.
• Tell your attorney. If you have legal representation, share any concerns about your medical records as early as possible. Addressing documentation problems before the NARSUM is drafted is far easier than trying to fix them afterward.

It's your medical record. You deserve to know who — or what — is writing it. And if you are a service member or veteran with a disability case in progress, the accuracy of that record may be one of the most important things you can protect right now.

For more on how AI errors in medical documentation can compound through the record, see our follow-up post on the Mount Sinai study on AI medical falsehoods. Our MEB rebuttals guide explains how to challenge inaccurate NARSUM findings once they appear. And our post on why to hire an attorney for your PEB explains why catching documentation problems early — before the NARSUM is finalized — is so critical.

If you have questions about how your medical records affect your MEB or PEB case, contact John B. Gately at 757-481-0772 for a free consultation.