Doctors’ AI reliance sparks Knesset debate on Healthcare safety

The Knesset Health Committee convened on Tuesday to address concerns raised by Yossi Arbelich, chairman of the “Lema’ankhem” organization, regarding doctors’ over-reliance on artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT, which could lead to medical errors and endanger patients’ lives. Prompted by Arbelich’s letter to the Health Ministry, the committee discussed the need for regulation to govern AI use in Israel’s healthcare system, focusing on the medical, legal, and ethical implications of unmonitored AI reliance.

The session, initiated by MKs Yaakov Asher (United Torah Judaism) and Matan Kahana (National Unity), was led by acting committee chair MK Ron Katz (Yesh Atid). Representatives from “Lema’ankhem,” including Prof. Yosef Press and Dr. Gadi Neumann, praised AI’s transformative potential in medicine but stressed the urgent need for oversight. They proposed a comprehensive survey to assess AI usage among Israeli doctors and mandatory regulations from the Health Ministry to define AI’s boundaries in clinical practice and research. Dr. Neumann suggested requiring doctors to disclose AI use in diagnoses or treatments to patients and integrating AI education, covering its benefits and limitations, into medical school curricula.

Arbelich emphasized the stakes: “The contribution of artificial intelligence to healthcare is immense, assisting countless doctors and patients worldwide, but we cannot allow doctors to replace scientific sources with a chat tool that may provide erroneous results. The current lack of legal regulation in medicine is sometimes a matter of life and death, necessitating Knesset intervention.” Representatives from Clalit, Meuhedet, Maccabi, and Leumit health funds also participated, highlighting the issue’s broad relevance.

MK Katz concluded, “There is significance and urgency in addressing this issue. If we miss this train, we’ll regret it for years.” He demanded that the Health Ministry establish a team to set AI usage guidelines and conduct an anonymous survey on doctors’ AI reliance, signalling a proactive step toward balancing innovation with patient safety.