Freakonomics Radio
For 50 years, the healthcare industry has been trying (and failing) to harness the power of artificial intelligence. It may finally be ready for prime time. What will this mean for human doctors — and the rest of us? (Part four of “The Freakonomics Radio Guide to Getting Better.”)
- SOURCES:
- Bob Wachter, professor, chair of the department of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.
- Pierre Elias, cardiologist, assistant professor of biomedical informatics at Columbia University, medical director for artificial intelligence at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.
- RESOURCES:
- A Giant Leap: How AI Is Transforming Healthcare and What That Means for Our Future, by Bob Wachter (2026).
- “Epic Systems (MyChart),” by Acquired (2025).
- “Detecting structural heart disease from electrocardiograms using AI,” by Pierre Elias and Timothy Poterucha (Nature, 2025).
- “What Are the Risks of Sharing Medical Records With ChatGPT?” by Maggie Astor (New York Times, 2025).
- “Will Generative Artificial Intelligence Deliver on Its Promise in Health Care?” by Bob Wachter and Erik Brynjolfsson (JAMA, 2023).
- The Digital Doctor: Hope, Hype, and Harm at the Dawn of Medicine’s Computer Age, by Bob Wachter (2015).
- EXTRAS:
- “The Doctor Won’t See You Now,” by Freakonomics Radio (2025).
- “How to Stop Worrying and Love the Robot Apocalypse (Update),” by Freakonomics Radio (2024).
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
550. Why Do People Still Hunt Whales?
For years, whale oil was used as lighting fuel, industrial lubricant, and the main ingredient in (yum!) margarine. Whale meat was also on a few menus. But today, demand for whale products is at a…
549. The First Great American Industry
Whaling was, in the words of one scholar, “early capitalism unleashed on the high seas.” How did the U.S. come to dominate the whale market? Why did whale hunting die out here — and continue…
548. Why Is the U.S. So Good at Killing Pedestrians?
Actually, the reasons are pretty clear. The harder question is: Will we ever care enough to stop?
Why Did You Marry That Person? (Ep. 511 Replay)
Sure, you were “in love.” But economists — using evidence from Bridgerton to Tinder — point to what’s called “assortative mating.” And it has some unpleasant consequences for society.
547. Satya Nadella’s Intelligence Is Not Artificial
But as C.E.O. of the resurgent Microsoft, he is firmly at the center of the A.I. revolution. We speak with him about the perils and blessings of A.I., Google vs. Bing, the Microsoft succession plan…
546. Are E.S.G. Investors Actually Helping the Environment?
Probably not. The economist Kelly Shue argues that E.S.G. investing just gives more money to firms that are already green while depriving polluting firms of the financing they need to get greener. But she has…
545. Enough with the Slippery Slopes!
Gun control, abortion rights, drug legalization — it seems like every argument these days claims that if X happens, then Y will follow, and we’ll all be doomed to Z. Is the slippery-slope argument a…
544. Ari Emanuel Is Never Indifferent
He turned a small Hollywood talent agency into a massive sports-and-entertainment empire. In a freewheeling conversation, he explains how he did it and why it nearly killed him.
Make Me a Match (Ep. 209 Update)
Sure, markets work well in general. But for some transactions — like school admissions and organ transplants — money alone can’t solve the problem. That’s when you need a market-design wizard like Al Roth. Plus:…
543. How to Return Stolen Art
Museums are purging their collections of looted treasures. Can they also get something in return? And what does it mean to be a museum in the 21st century? (Part 3 of “Stealing Art Is Easy.…