AI Doctor for ASD: Physician Perceptions and Adoption Challenges in Autism Clinical Practice

The rapid increase in the number of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has drawn extensive attention from both the general public and researchers. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been applied in the assessment, early diagnosis, and intervention of ASD to enhance the efficiency of clinicians and reduce tension in medical resources. However, the adoption of AI systems in clinical practice is relatively limited due to the challenge of complexity and diversity of ASD. Thus, involving insights into clinicians’ perceptions and barriers toward the role of AI is crucial for enhancing clinicians-AI cooperation for autism. Through conducting the semi-structured interview with 18 physicians across tertiary and secondary hospitals in various regions, this study indicates the positive attitude toward collaborating with AI among physicians. Additionally, some concerns are also reported, such as the complexity of ASD, uncertainty of AI capabilities, and understandability of AI. The findings of this study highlight the significance of human-centered AI in satisfying different stakeholders’ needs and discuss the potential implications of AI capabilities for adopting AI in future autism research.