Veterans visiting some Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers may notice something different at their next appointment: Their doctor is looking at them instead of typing furiously into a computer.
The change comes from a new artificial intelligence tool the VA launched in October that listens to appointments and automatically generates clinical notes. The technology, called ambient AI scribe, frees providers from one of health care’s biggest frustrations while giving veterans something they say has been missing for years, genuine eye contact and conversation.
“Veterans said they felt more connected to their provider because they were having a real conversation, not talking to someone typing on a computer,” said Donna Hill, director of operations for AI and emerging technologies at the VA’s Digital Health Office, according to VA News.
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The scribe tool works by recording the appointment audio with the veteran’s permission then using AI to transcribe the conversation and pull out relevant medical information for the patient’s chart. What used to take providers 15 to 30 minutes of typing after each visit now happens automatically in the background.
Why This Matters Now
Provider burnout has reached crisis levels across health care. Clinicians spend nearly half their workday on documentation and administrative tasks rather than patient care, often working evenings and weekends catching up on notes.
After using the new system: “My provider would look me in the eye and have an actual conversation,” one veteran told the VA.
The VA piloted ambient AI scribe with more than 800,000 veterans over six months. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive from both patients and providers.
The technology addresses both problems: Providers get hours of their day back. Veterans get face-to-face interaction that builds trust and improves care.
How It Works
When a veteran arrives for an appointment, the provider asks permission to use the ambient scribe. If the veteran agrees, the system quietly records the conversation through a device in the exam room.
The AI processes the audio in real time, identifying medical information such as symptoms, diagnoses, medications and treatment plans. It generates a draft note that the provider reviews and signs off on before it goes into the veteran’s record. The technology doesn’t make medical decisions; it simply handles the clerical work of documenting what happened.
Veterans keep full control. They can decline to have the appointment recorded, and they can ask for the recording to stop at any time during the visit.
What Veterans and Providers Say
The VA surveyed 75 veterans about the technology and found 71% had no concerns about using it. The minority who expressed reservations worried primarily about privacy, though the VA emphasized that all recordings are handled under the same strict medical privacy rules that protect other health information.
Veterans who have experienced appointments with the ambient scribe are recommending it to others, while one provider using the system said the accurate documentation makes appointments safer. “Having an accurate record [factors] into making this the safest experience possible,” the provider told the VA.
The ambient scribe handles the bulk of routine note-taking while providers still review and approve everything before it becomes part of the official record. That human oversight is intentional. The VA designed the system to augment clinical work, not replace the judgment and expertise of trained medical professionals.
Privacy and What Comes Next
The ambient AI scribe operates under the same privacy protections as all VA medical records. Recordings are encrypted and stored securely within VA systems, not shared with third parties or used to train commercial AI models.
The VA plans to expand ambient AI scribe to all VA medical centers across the country throughout 2026. Veterans won’t need to do anything to access the tool; providers will offer it as an option during appointments once it’s available at their facility.
The technology is part of a broader VA push to use artificial intelligence in situations in which the AI can improve care and reduce administrative burden. Other initiatives include AI systems that help identify veterans at high risk of suicide and tools that streamline benefits claims processing.
“Veterans benefit from improved face-to-face time with providers as well as improved accuracy of documentation in their health records,” Hill said in the VA announcement.
For veterans curious about whether their VA facility offers ambient AI scribe, ask your provider at your next appointment. If it’s not available yet, it likely will be sometime in 2026.
The Veterans Crisis Line is available 24/7 for any veteran in crisis. Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net.
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