AI Scribes Gain Ground Among Australian GPs

Nearly half of surveyed general practitioners now use AI scribes, while the Therapeutic Goods Administration flags most sampled products as likely medical devices.

Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence

AI Scribes Gain Ground Among Australian GPs

Live Poll

Do you think AI tools are making everyday life better or worse?

A newsGP poll of 1114 respondents found 49% use AI scribes in their practice, up from 22% in 2024 and 40% in 2025. The Therapeutic Goods Administration reviewed 12 digital scribe products and found eight likely meet the medical device threshold.

Why it matters

Many digital scribes now include generative AI functions that go beyond transcription and summarisation, and current rules require software that generates clinical recommendations to be categorised as a medical device. The findings raise questions for GPs about how these tools are regulated across Australia.

A newsGP poll of 1114 respondents recorded 49% AI scribe use, while the TGA's review of 12 products found eight likely meet the medical device threshold. The TGA did not say which products fell into that group, and none of the reviewed products is currently listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods.

The players

Therapeutic Goods Administration

The TGA is Australia's national regulator for therapeutic goods, including medical devices and software, and assesses whether products meet the medical device threshold.

newsGP

newsGP is an Australian publication for general practitioners that runs reader polls on clinical technology and practice trends.

Lyrebird

Lyrebird is a digital scribe product widely used by general practitioners in Australia and was included in the TGA's sample.

Heidi

Heidi is a digital scribe product widely used by general practitioners in Australia and was included in the TGA's sample.

The details

The TGA sample included Lyrebird and Heidi, two of the most used products by GPs in Australia. A New South Wales PHN pilot involving 10 general practices reported that more than 80% of participants were happy with the technology.

2024: AI scribe use among newsGP respondents stood at 22%.
2025: 40% of respondents reported using AI scribes.
12 November 2026: The newsGP poll results showing 49% AI scribe use were published.

Regulatory Context

The TGA's review tests AI scribes against the medical device classification rules in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, and its finding that most sampled products likely qualify suggests regulatory scrutiny of clinical AI tools is widening. None of the products considered is yet listed on that register.

GPs using AI scribes should check whether the products they rely on have been assessed by the TGA. Practices considering adoption may need to weigh the regulatory status of each tool before integrating it into clinical workflows.

The takeaway

Practices using AI scribes should confirm each product's regulatory status and whether it generates clinical recommendations. Checking the TGA position before adoption helps avoid unexpected compliance obligations.