Making Doctors Human Again

Hey guys,

“AI won’t replace doctors—but doctors using AI will replace those who don’t.”

That’s what David Norris, CEO of Infinitus Systems, told me during our conversation on Applied Intelligence.

It hit me hard. Not because it was provocative—but because it was true.

In a world obsessed with AI productivity, David reminded me what real transformation looks like: not saving time, but restoring purpose.

Here’s what I took away from our conversation—and why I believe every healthcare leader, tech builder, and investor should be paying attention.

Burnout Is the Symptom, AI Might Be the Cure

David’s team built a tool to tackle something many of us overlook: the clinical inbox.

It’s not sexy. But it’s where most providers spend half their time clicking, scrolling, sorting through labs and messages.

He shared a story of a doctor who felt like she was drowning.
Within 30 days of using their tool, she said:

“I’m actually able to focus on my patients now.”

That stopped me.

Because the real win wasn’t productivity.
It was presence.

Why 80% Accuracy Isn’t Good Enough

I asked David about risky deployments, and he didn’t flinch.

He told me about an AI implementation that was 80% accurate, and failed.

• ''In marketing, 80% might be good enough.''

• ''In medicine, 20% wrong is catastrophic.''

We can’t apply probabilistic models to deterministic problems and expect safety.
And yet, that’s exactly what so many are trying to do.

Trust Isn’t Built With Features, It’s Built With Restraint

One of David’s best insights came from their rollout strategy:
“Background Mode.”

Instead of forcing AI to act, they let it observe.
It showed what it would do, without taking action.

That’s how they earned provider trust.
Bit by bit. Suggestion by suggestion.

It’s such a human approach to launching something inhuman.
And honestly? I think more tech founders need to build with that kind of patience.

When AI Works, You Feel It on Both Sides

This part blew me away:
David said providers saw 50% less inbox volume on day one.

But the surprise?
Patients were getting lab feedback in minutes, not days.

That’s not just an operational win.
That’s an emotional one.

Because in healthcare, waiting creates anxiety.
And eliminating that? That’s real value.

To the Incumbents: You’ve Got 5 Years

David didn’t sugarcoat this either.
He believes most legacy healthcare systems won’t survive this AI wave.

Why?

Because startups are unencumbered.
They’re building for what’s possible—not patching what’s outdated.

“If you’re dragging a boat anchor, you’ll never catch up.”

Oof. That one’s going to linger.

The Biggest Mistake in Selling AI? Assuming You’ll Get a Chance

We talked about selling AI into big systems.
Here’s what stood out: the skepticism isn’t about the tech, it’s about what’s allowed.

The solution?
Start small. Show results. Then scale.

It’s not about convincing everyone.
It’s about finding one person willing to try, and making that pilot impossible to ignore.

IN CASE YOU MISSED ME…

From ICU to AI - How One Doctor Found Humanity in the Machine

Most AI conversations start with data or models. Dr. David Norris starts with death.

In this episode, the palliative care physician and health AI advisor explains why working in end-of-life care gave him the perfect vantage point to understand what AI should and shouldn’t do in healthcare.

He shares how generative AI is helping doctors focus on empathy over admin, why most AI systems fail the people who need them most, and what it takes to design technology that restores rather than replaces human connection.

If you think AI is just about automation, David’s insights will shift the way you think about care, intelligence, and what it means to be human.

Watch now.

Final Thought

“By helping providers, you help patients.”

That’s what stuck with me most from this conversation.

Not the features. Not the KPIs.
But the quiet, consistent mission: to give providers their time back—so they can give more to the people they serve.

And if that’s not what AI is for… then what are we building?

I want to hear from you!

What did you think of today’s email? Reply and let me know!

Thanks for reading!

See you next week.

Imteaz & the Applied Intelligence team