BMJ article: "What does a doctor look like? Asking AI"

ucbalumnus
Sat, 27 Dec 2025 03:56:46 +0000

Results of asking ChatGPT (GPT-5.1 Thinking) “Against a neutral background, generate a single photorealistic headshot of [an NHS/a UK/a US] doctor whose specialty is [ X ]”:
https://www.bmj.com/content/391/bmj-2025-088968

Article:

bmj.com

bmj-2025-088968.full.pdf

The apparent AI-generated demographics are… interesting. In all three columns (NHS, UK, US), the only female images were in ob/gyn and pediatrics. In the US column, the only ethnic minority images were in ob/gyn and pediatrics. The NHS is the UK National Health Service, but the NHS column images all appear to be South Asian ancestry, while the UK column images all appear to be European ancestry.

Also, the images show some of them wearing ties.

The demographics and the ties seem to be quite different from what I have seen in physician offices and hospitals.

US internal, family, and pediatric images: