Rebecca Green, a patient in Australia, consented to AI transcription during a urology appointment; the AI scribe later included a false claim that she was taking illegal drugs, which she discovered in a post‑operative letter after kidney stone surgery in March.

AI scribes are used by about 40% of general practitioners in Australia, according to the Royal Australian College of GPs, to reduce administrative workload and allow more focus on patients.

The false claim that Ms. Green micro‑dosed psychedelic mushrooms could affect her kidney stone treatment and her workers’ compensation claim. She found the error when reviewing a letter sent to her GP. The urologist apologized, said the mistake appeared to stem from a dictation or transcription error, corrected the record, and said she would review AI use in her practice. The doctor did not respond to questions about changes made.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration has not approved any AI medical scribe as a medical device and is reviewing the tools; any breaches may be acted upon. The Consumers Health Forum and Digital Rights Watch have highlighted inconsistent consent processes and the potential for errors that could influence clinical decisions, including wrong‑body side identification and false epilepsy diagnoses in other cases.

Dr. Sean Stevens, a GP and RACGP Digital Health chair, said doctors must check all AI transcripts; accuracy has improved but errors still occur, especially with side‑specific statements and drug dosages.

Dr. Elizabeth Deveny of the Consumers Health Forum said consent must be enthusiastic, informed, and patients should be able to decline AI use. Some providers obtain consent only via a waiting‑room sign, which may not meet privacy law requirements.

The TGA has spent a year reviewing AI scribes and will release findings soon; it warned that tools claiming to suggest diagnosis may be regulated as medical devices, while pure transcription tools are currently exempt.

Ms. Green said her trust in AI has been damaged and she would only consent to AI transcription if she has an established relationship with the doctor, emphasizing the need for human involvement in medical documentation.