Consulting AI: building inclusiveness in acute care surgery

Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms are increasingly integrated into medicine, offering opportunities to improve efficiency, decision-making, and patient outcomes. When thoughtfully implemented, AI also holds the potential to advance equity and inclusion for patients and surgical teams. This essay argues that the most meaningful role of AI is not to replace surgeons, but as a tool to reduce administrative burdens, illuminate disparities in care, and create space for human connection, mentorship, and advocacy. At the same time, it cautions that AI systems trained on historically biased data risk perpetuating inequities if equity is not explicitly prioritized. Ultimately, AI should be used as a tool to support, rather than supplant, the humanity at the core of acute care surgery.