EDDIE HOOKER

IS AI CHANGING THE RISK LANDSCAPE IN AESTHETICS?

AI is changing aesthetics – but responsibility still sits with us, writes Eddie Hooker, founder and CEO of Hamilton Fraser

Artificial intelligence is everywhere right now. Whether you're enthusiastic about its potential or slightly nervous about where it is all heading, the reality is that AI is no longer something we can afford to ignore.

The conversation around AI often focuses on efficiency, productivity and time saving. And there is no doubt that these technologies have the potential to deliver genuine benefits when it comes to note-taking, content creation, skin analysis and patient communication tools. What concerns me, however, is that far less attention is being paid to accountability.

As someone who has spent more than 30 years looking at complaints, claims and professional risk within aesthetics, I believe that is where the real discussion needs to happen.

AI CAN SUPPORT DECISIONS, BUT IT CANNOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY

One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding AI is that it somehow reduces professional responsibility. It doesn't.

From an insurance perspective, the position remains straightforward. If a patient suffers harm, experiences an unexpected outcome or decides to bring a complaint, responsibility sits with the practitioner and the clinic. Not the software provider. Not the algorithm. Not the AI platform.

AI cannot hold medical malpractice insurance, defend a claim or appear before a regulator. Practitioners remain responsible for every decision made during the patient journey, regardless of how much technology supports that process.

THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE SIGNIFICANT

I do not want to sound overly cautious because there are some genuinely exciting opportunities with AI.

One of the most promising applications is consultation documentation. Many practitioners already struggle to balance detailed record keeping with maintaining natural conversations and patient rapport. AI-assisted transcription and note generation could help create more accurate consultation records while allowing practitioners to focus on the patient sitting in front of them.

AI also has the potential to support communication, streamline administration and help clinics manage increasingly complex operational demands.

Used correctly, these tools could improve consistency, reduce administrative pressure and free practitioners to spend more time doing what only humans can do: listening, assessing and building trust. The key phrase there is "used correctly".

WHERE RISK BEGINS TO EMERGE

The challenge is that AI is only as good as the information it receives and the oversight applied to its outputs.

We are already seeing examples across multiple industries of AI systems producing inaccurate information that sounds entirely convincing. These so-called "hallucinations" may be amusing when they occur in general conversation, but they become much more serious when they influence patient care.

Imagine an AI-assisted system incorrectly identifying a skin concern, failing to highlight a contraindication or generating incomplete aftercare advice.

Even if the error originated with the technology, the patient is unlikely to view it that way. They will see it as advice that came from the clinic.

The same applies to AI-generated imaging and treatment simulations. While these tools can help patients visualise potential outcomes, they also carry the risk of creating expectations that may not be clinically achievable.

In aesthetics, expectation management has always been one of the most important factors in preventing complaints and claims. AI has the potential to strengthen that process, but it could also undermine it if used carelessly.

A NOTE ON DATA PROTECTION

There is also an important data protection consideration that clinics should not overlook.

As AI tools become more accessible, some practitioners may be tempted to upload consultation notes, patient histories, or clinical photographs to generative AI platforms to generate summaries, treatment recommendations, or marketing content. This is an area that requires particular caution.

Patient information is protected under UK GDPR, and healthcare data is classed as special category data. Clinics must understand how any third-party AI platform processes, stores and protects information before using it with patient data. Uploading identifiable information such as names, dates of birth, contact details, consultation records, or patient photographs without appropriate safeguards could pose significant data protection, regulatory, and reputational risks.

In practical terms, practitioners should approach AI platforms in the same way they would any other external supplier. They should understand where information is stored, who has access to it and whether patient information has been properly anonymised before it is uploaded. The convenience of AI should never come at the expense of patient confidentiality.

AI CONTENT CREATION

Of course, consultation support is only one area where AI is becoming part of everyday practice. Many practitioners are already using tools such as ChatGPT and other generative AI platforms to help create website copy, patient information, blogs, social media content and marketing materials.

Used carefully, these tools can save time and help clinics communicate more consistently. However, practitioners should remember that AI-generated content is not always accurate. Any treatment information, regulatory guidance or clinical claims generated by AI should be reviewed carefully before publication. If incorrect information is shared with patients or published online, responsibility remains with the clinic.

PATIENTS ARE USING AI TOO

There is another side to this conversation that practitioners should not overlook. Patients are increasingly using AI before they ever walk through your clinic door. Rather than simply searching for treatments online, many are now asking AI-powered platforms detailed questions about complications, practitioner experience, safety standards and expected outcomes.

In some respects, this could be positive. Patients may arrive better informed and more engaged in the consultation process. But it also means clinics are operating in an environment of increasing scrutiny.

Patients can access more information than ever before. They can compare practitioners more easily. And, as we are already beginning to see, they can use AI tools to help draft highly sophisticated complaint letters when things go wrong.

Some of the complaints we receive today look remarkably similar to correspondence previously drafted by legal professionals.

That changes the landscape for practitioners and reinforces the importance of robust governance, documentation and communication.

"Patients do not come to aesthetic practitioners simply for information. They come for reassurance, judgment, experience, empathy and trust. Those qualities cannot be automated. "

GOOD GOVERNANCE MATTERS MORE THAN EVER

Whenever a new technology emerges, there is a temptation to focus on what it can do. I believe the more important question is whether clinics have appropriate safeguards around how it is being used.

Do staff understand the limitations of the technology? Are AI-generated notes being reviewed before they are added to patient records? Are patients aware when AI tools form part of the consultation process? Are clinics using secure, GDPR-compliant systems? Do practitioners remain actively involved in every clinical decision?

These questions may become increasingly relevant from both a regulatory and insurance perspective as AI adoption accelerates.

THE FUTURE IS NOT AI VERSUS HUMANS

Some of the discussion around AI creates the impression that practitioners must choose between embracing technology or preserving the human side of medicine. I do not believe that is the case. The most successful clinics are likely to be those that use AI to enhance human expertise rather than replace it.

Patients do not come to aesthetic practitioners simply for information. They come for reassurance, judgment, experience, empathy and trust. Those qualities cannot be automated.

Technology may be changing faster than we can keep up with, but the fundamentals of safe practice remain unchanged: good clinical judgement, clear communication, realistic expectation management, accurate documentation and record-keeping, strong consent processes, and robust medical malpractice insurance cover.

These principles protected practitioners before AI arrived, and they will continue to protect practitioners long after it becomes commonplace.

EDDIE HOOKER

Eddie Hooker is the founder and chief executive of Hamilton Fraser. He is an expert in the cosmetic insurance sector with 30 years of experience. He is an industry commentator on key topics such as aesthetics regulation, legislation, insurance and business growth.