1. United States
2. Fla.
3. Letter

I’m writing in opposition to the proposed house bill H.R.238 (To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to clarify that artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies can qualify as a practitioner eligible to prescribe drugs if authorized by the State involved and approved, cleared, or authorized by the Food and Drug Administration, and for other purposes.) This bill if passed will lead to negative implications and outcomes in a variety of different human services and healthcare fields. Introducing the ability for AI to qualify as a practitioner who is able to prescribe drugs if authorized would not only negatively impact the ability for human providers to maintain their businesses and employment, but it poses a risk to the general public since there is no way to manage or moderate that AI is able to maintain ethical standards and good care to people. Additionally, the implications would have wider spread impact on other fields as this opens the door to allowing AI into other fields. As one example, allowing AI to practice as a mental health counselor. As mental health professional myself, I have serious concerns about AI being allowed the ability to practice as a therapist. This legislation can open the door to negatively impacting both the people in our country who seek care, and the professionals who have invested both financially and with time into developing their clinical skills and building their businesses. I ask you to emphatically oppose this bill as it has the potential to have major widespread negative implications.