Artificial Intelligence in Australian Dental and General Healthcare: A Scoping Review.

Abstract

This review contextualises the role of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare within an Australian healthcare regulatory and ethical framework. Four online databases (PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL and Web of Science) were searched for peer-reviewed publications that addressed at least two of the three topics: (1) the current applications of AI in dentistry and healthcare; (2) data security and privacy in AI-enhanced healthcare; (3) ethical, legal and clinical implications of machine errors, and the delegation of healthcare responsibilities to large technology companies. A total of 31 articles were retrieved for full-text analysis using traditional and AI-assisted software. All studies showed promising use of AI to enhance clinical decision-making, automate administrative tasks and augment personalised care. However, integrating AI into the Australian healthcare context introduces complex ethical, regulatory and legal considerations that include bias, data privacy and ambiguous chains of responsibility. To maximise the benefits of AI technologies while safeguarding patient rights, practitioners and developers must establish regulatory frameworks, mandate practitioner training, foster multidisciplinary collaboration and maintain continuous rigorous oversight.