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Pediatric physicians sound the alarm: GenAI is a cause for concern

Glenna Crooks, PhD and Paul Hambly, EVP of Supply at Toluna

Pediatric cautions

  • Regulatory confidence: Only 29% of pediatric specialists are confident that regulators can keep pace with GenAI developments, compared to 44% of adult-only physicians and 46% of mixed practices.
  • «Black box» accountability: 87% of pediatric-only physicians worry about AI’s unclear decision-making processes, compared to 79% of adult-only and 80% of mixed practices.
  • Data privacy: A striking 83% of pediatric-only physicians fear identifiable patient data will «leak» into training datasets, compared to 74% of adult-only physicians.
  • Bias amplification: 71% of pediatric-only physicians worry that GenAI will worsen health disparities, compared to 65% for adult-only practices.
  • Security threats: 86% of pediatric-only physicians are concerned about malicious actors threatening medical systems, compared to 80% in adult-only practices.

Why children change everything

Our survey didn’t directly ask about protective instincts, but the data pattern suggests pediatric physicians may indeed feel a heightened responsibility for their young patients. This isn’t surprising when you consider the unique vulnerabilities children face in healthcare settings:

  • Consent and agency: Children cannot consent to their care or understand the implications of GenAI assistance. Parents and physicians bear the full weight of decision-making.
  • Developmental considerations: Children’s physiology, psychology, and treatment responses differ dramatically from those of adults. GenAI systems trained primarily on adult data may not safely translate to pediatric care.
  • Long-term consequences: Errors in pediatric care can compound over time. A misdiagnosis at age 5 has different implications than one at age 65.
  • Family dynamics: Pediatric physicians must navigate patient care and family communication, adding complexity to the transparency requirements surrounding the use of GenAI.
  • Privacy violations: Disclosure of children’s medical data represents decades of potential risks that could impact patients well into adulthood.
  • Training data bias:  Biased GenAI recommendations during childhood could set trajectories that perpetuate inequities for decades.

Developer accountability for harm

Pediatricians are more likely to hold developers accountable for any harm caused by GenAI (30%) compared to adult-only physicians (23%) and mixed adult-pediatric physicians (23%).

Coming next:

Endnote:

As part of our “AI Everywhere” strategy, Toluna is committed to helping organizations navigate the opportunities and responsibilities that AI brings with it. We partnered with Glenna Crooks, PhD, a recognized policy strategist in global healthcare, to engage over 2,000 physicians on their views of generative AI.[1]

Using Curizon, Toluna’s proprietary panel of healthcare professionals, we explored perceived benefits and risks of AI in healthcare, accountability in the event of harm, and the need for ethical guidelines. The research also examined the advisability of a GenAI Oath modeled after traditional oaths taken by healthcare professionals.


[1]This survey was scripted and programmed by Toluna and fielded in February 2026 with 2,739 healthcare professionals in Toluna’s proprietary healthcare panel Curizon. Survey author: Perso