Columbia Missourian: Missouri law will serve patients and protect them from AI posing as healthcare

By Connie Farrow, Patients Come First Missouri Executive Director

Missouri has taken an important step to protect patients as artificial intelligence becomes more common in health care.

Our state’s first law containing specific AI restrictions will take effect as of Friday, Aug. 28, prohibiting companies and developers from advertising or representing AI systems as licensed mental health professionals or claiming they can provide therapy, psychotherapy or mental health diagnoses.

The law doesn’t ban AI from healthcare. These tools may still assist licensed professionals with administrative tasks, data analysis and supplemental information, provided their supportive role is clearly disclosed. What the law prevents is the misleading claim that a chatbot can independently replace a clinician.

Read the full LTE in the Columbia Missourian here.