What’s in a name? A comparison of attitudes towards artificial intelligence (AI) versus augmented human intelligence (AHI)

“Artificial intelligence” (AI) is often referred to as “augmented human intelligence” (AHI). The latter term implies that computers support—rather than replace—human decision-making. It is unclear whether the terminology used affects attitudes and perceptions in practice. In the context of a quality improvement project implementing AI/AHI-based decision support in a regional health system, we surveyed staff’s attitudes about AI/AHI, randomizing question prompts to refer to either AI or AHI. Ninety-three staff completed surveys. With a power of 0.95 to detect a difference larger than 0.8 points on a 5-point scale, we did not detect a significant difference in responses to six questions regarding attitudes when respondents were alternatively asked about AI versus AHI (mean difference range: 0.04–0.22 points; p > 0.05). Although findings may be setting-specific, we observed that use of the terms “AI” and “AHI” in a survey on attitudes of clinical staff elicited similar responses.