In 2025, America’s intrigue with authenticity was represented through the triumph of HBO’s acclaimed series The Pitt. As a health care executive positioned at the junction of health and innovation, I view the show as an unfiltered portrayal of the intrinsic obstacles within our health care system—and as a launching pad for transformation.
The Pitt’s candid depiction of challenges such as time limitations, talent struggles, and bureaucratic hurdles acts as a catalyst for dialogue. While the drama correctly underscores current health care dilemmas, it neglects a vital element of the solution: artificial intelligence (AI). Not as a final remedy but as a crucial partner—the absent figure in The Pitt’s storyline.
**AI isn’t here to substitute human beings.**
In health care discussions, AI’s function frequently sways between two extremes: rescuer or replacement. Neither characterization is correct. Human resources are limited, and healthcare providers are overwhelmed, attempting to assist more patients with reducing means. A significant shortfall is anticipated to reach 122,000 physicians, affecting nine out of ten surgical specialties by 2032. With 10,000 Baby Boomers reaching 65 every day and seniors accounting for 34% of inpatient procedures, expanding our physician workforce on time is an impossible feat.
We must shift towards what we cannot achieve independently. To expand, we require innovation.
Innovation encompasses not just technological progress but also understanding the intricate health care landscape and addressing the needs of both patients and providers equally. It emphasizes being proactive, foreseeing societal demands, and collaborating for advancement. It requires a willingness to embrace uncertainty and empowerment through new resources.
**Upholding expertise isn’t a narrative.**
Surgeons rely on years of training, instincts, and pattern identification to make swift decisions in high-pressure situations. Even with their proficiency, the challenge of recalling extensive medical knowledge during demanding operations remains.
With the right technology, this expertise can be captured, organized, and made easily retrievable. Real-time surgical data collection tools, procedural monitoring, and feedback mechanisms can help establish a dynamic knowledge base. This guarantees that clinician insights are preserved and accessible, even after they depart the profession.
Studies indicate that intelligent systems can shorten surgery times by 20 to 80 minutes and mitigate the need for expensive revisions. These technologies are not designed to supplant expertise but to amplify it—reducing cognitive loads, forecasting complications, and permitting professionals to concentrate on delivering quality care.
**Co-creation isn’t merely aesthetic.**
The characters in The Pitt are fatigued because they are consistently fighting against ineffectual systems. Tools are implemented without input from their end-users, resulting in cumbersome electronic health records (EHRs), redundant documentation, and workflows that inflate workloads instead of alleviating them.
Improvements must be developed by those who utilize them—the surgeons, the nurses, the residents. Collaborating with them, not just on their behalf, facilitates significant transformation.
The alternative is more fatigue-inducing documentation and increased screen time. This harsh reality is part of what The Pitt reveals.
**The time is now.**
The essential message from the show is unmistakable: time is slipping away. But so are justifications. The technology is available, partnerships are emerging. We require collective determination to adopt a new framework where AI enhances expertise rather than overshadowing it. Let’s ensure the next chapter of health care innovation is remarkable. Integrate the AI element into the narrative without delay.
Gabe Jones is a health care executive.