“With artificial cognition, we have the ability to outsource the entire thinking or reasoning process itself. And that’s what we call cognitive surrender: the adoption of AI outputs without verification, without much internal engagement at all.”
What happens to clinical judgment when physicians begin relying on artificial intelligence—and what happens when that technology is taken away?
In this special Editor’s Choice episode of JCMS Author Interviews, Dr. Kirk Barber speaks with Canadian academic Steven Shaw, assistant professor of marketing at King’s Business School, King’s College London, and formerly of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Shaw introduces the concept of “cognitive surrender”: accepting AI-generated conclusions without independently reasoning through or verifying them. They examine what this could mean in medicine, where incorrect or unchallenged answers can have serious consequences.
Their conversation explores emerging evidence of deskilling among experienced clinicians who use AI-assisted diagnostic tools, as well as the risk of “never-skilling” when medical trainees outsource parts of the learning process before developing their own expertise.
They also consider how AI is changing the doctor–patient relationship. Can AI scribes create more time for meaningful conversation—or does being recorded inhibit trust and disclosure? What happens when patients arrive with their own AI-generated diagnoses? And when a physician’s judgment differs from an AI recommendation, which one is more likely to be trusted?
A timely discussion about AI, medical education and how clinicians can benefit from new technologies without surrendering the critical judgment on which good medicine depends.
This episode is supported by an educational grant from Sun Pharma Canada through the CDA Corporate Supporter Program.
Dr. Barber and his guests do not receive any financial reimbursement for the production of this podcast.
For more great CDA podcasts check out Dermalogues, our Residents podcast hosted by Dr Kerri Purdy. New episodes are coming out in October 2026.
To learn more about the work of the Canadian Dermatology Association, please visit our website at dermatology.ca
This podcast is produced by David McGuffin and Graham McGuffin of ExploreProductions.ca
