I recently read a Guardian article about a psychiatrist in Melbourne who reportedly asked new patients to consent to AI note-taking before their first appointment. If they did not agree, they were told to find another provider.
I understand why clinicians are interested in these tools. Documentation takes time, and mental health professionals already carry a heavy administrative burden. If AI can help with notes, it may give clinicians more time to focus on actual care. Still, this case made me uncomfortable.
Mental health care depends heavily on trust. People talk about things in therapy or psychiatry that they may not say anywhere else. Even if an AI note-taking system is secure, the feeling of being recorded or transcribed by a machine could change how openly people speak. Some patients may start editing themselves. Others may avoid certain topics altogether.
The bigger issue, to me, is consent. Saying “you can refuse” does not mean much if refusal means losing access to care. In mental health care, where finding a provider is already difficult, that kind of choice can feel more like pressure than autonomy.
This is why I think we need to be careful when we talk about AI in mental health. The question is not only whether AI can act like a therapist. AI may enter the room in quieter ways first through documentation, scheduling, screening, or risk assessment. These uses may look administrative, but they can still shape the therapeutic relationship.
I do not think AI note-taking is necessarily wrong. It may be helpful when patients understand it clearly and can say no without consequences. But if AI becomes a condition for receiving care, then we need to ask whose convenience the system is really serving. Mental health care should not only become more efficient. It should remain a space where people feel safe enough to speak honestly.
Source:
The Guardian. (2026, May 19). Melbourne psychiatrist refuses new patients who don’t consent to AI note-taking. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/may/19/melbourne-psychiatrist-ai-note-taking-new-patients