Pioneers of AI Can AI cure doctor burnout?
Jan 7, 2026
Dr. Shiv Rao is a cardiologist and the CEO of Abridge, a $5.3 billion AI company focused on reducing clinician burnout. In this engaging conversation, he discusses the public health crisis of doctor burnout caused by clerical burdens and staffing shortages. Rao explains how Abridge’s AI automates medical note-taking, enhancing the patient-clinician experience. He also touches on the challenges of multilingual support in healthcare and asserts that AI enables clinicians to focus more on human connection, ultimately improving care.
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Lecture Sparked Lifetime Mission
- A Carnegie Mellon lecture inspired Shiv Rao to pursue health impact at scale after seeing an ophthalmologist perform rapid cataract surgeries.
- That moment redirected him toward medicine and later building Abridge to create broad health impact.
Burnout Is A Public Health Emergency
- Shiv Rao calls clinician burnout a public health emergency driven by administrative burden.
- He argues technology and responsible automation are the only scalable way out to preserve clinical care.
Patient Story That Shaped Abridge
- A patient described how her husband taking notes allowed her to be fully present during visits and retain agency over her care.
- That story became Abridge's founding intuition to capture conversations and restore patient and clinician agency.