Being a doctor is one of the jobs expected to be least at risk from AI replacement. But a new program launched in Utah is raising questions over that assumption. A healthcare startup will begin offering AI examinations and prescriptions to patients without direct human oversight, making Utah the first state to replace a doctor with an AI.
The good news is that the program is currently very limited in its scope. It’s just one year long and only for patients with mild-to-moderate acne.
The process works when a person signs up for Nolla Health’s $4.99-per-month app and uses it to scan their face. After completing a medical history and personal information form, the AI analyzes their skin, identifies the acne problem, rates the skin’s oiliness, and then generates a numerical acne severity score that ranges between clear skin and severe acne, reports Bloomberg.
There are acne medications that are extremely dangerous. IDK if this clanker would be allowed to prescribe accutane, but that’s something that absolutely requires careful monitoring.
Yeah Accutane requires regular blood tests to make sure it’s not killing you. Probably not great to prescribe without a real doctor.
There’s also that pesky black box warning about how it increases the risk of suicidal ideation.