A routine Melbourne dental check-up turned into an unexpected ordeal for the 52-year-old musician and composer Caerwin Martin after she refused to allow artificial intelligence to be used in recording her medical notes.
Martin had seen a specialist earlier in the week for a tooth pain. As her periodontist sat down at the examination chair beside her, he did something unexpected: He asked for her consent to use an AI program to help him take notes and write referrals. Apprehensive about data security and privacy, Martin declined. She didn’t want her personal medical data uploaded to any AI system.
“I’m still shocked,” Martin said. “I never imagined I’d have police called on me for simply saying I didn’t want AI used in my consultation.”
According to Martin, this refusal set off a tense response. The visibly irritated dentist briefly looked at her teeth and abruptly indicated that she needed a referral. When she cited AI again, Martin claims he then said her concerns were “legally untrue” and became increasingly agitated.
She went to pay at the reception, when the dentist reportedly followed her into the waiting room and directed staff to call the police. The bewildered receptionist placed the emergency call while Martin quietly waited.
She was allowed to leave the scene without incident after officers arrived and assessed the situation.
Shaken, Martin later contacted the Dental Board of Australia, which reassured her that patients have the right to refuse AI, and no one can be compelled to consent to digital tools in their healthcare.
To Martin, the incident speaks to a much larger matter: the increasing use of AI in health and the requirement for clear consent by patients. “I have ethical reasons for not wanting AI involved in my medical records,” she said. “I don’t trust the security, and I want my information handled only by qualified professionals.”
Her concerns go beyond healthcare. Martin, an artist, pointed to recent government moves to prevent AI companies from using Australian creative works to train systems without permission-a matter she says directly affects people like her.
“I’m already boycotting A.I. in my work,” she said. “I just want the right to say no, especially when it comes to my health.” Martin says she has not heard from the clinic since the confrontation and has since sought another dental specialist.
