Following a series of severe medical errors attributed to the unregulated use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools by healthcare professionals, Rabbi Yossi Erblich, chairman and founder of the LeMa’anchem organization, has sent an urgent letter to Health Minister Uriel Busso, cautioning that “uncontrolled use of AI chats by medical teams poses a real risk to patients’ lives.”
In the letter written this week, Erblich details cases reported to LeMa’anchem in recent weeks, including “incorrect medication dosages and faulty medical opinions,” which he says have, in some instances, led to life-threatening situations.
“Numerous studies have shown that AI-generated results are inconsistent,” Erblich wrote. “In some cases, different answers are given for the same medical situation. While errors in some fields may be harmless, medical mistakes can cost lives.”
The letter was also sent to senior health officials, including Health Ministry Director-General Moshe Bar Siman Tov, Head of Public Health Services Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis, and the chairman of the Israel Medical Association, Prof. Zion Hagay.
Erblich emphasized that the current overload on doctors in hospitals may lead some to be tempted by “the quick and easy path” of relying on AI tools despite their limitations. “Artificial intelligence is not yet ready to provide reliable medical solutions,” he stated.
Call to issue clear ethical guidelines
In light of these concerns, Erblich called on the Health Ministry to collaborate with Israeli medical schools and the Israel Medical Association to issue clear ethical guidelines and usage protocols for AI in healthcare. He also urged the ministry to establish oversight mechanisms, impose sanctions, and issue warnings where necessary—both to individual practitioners and to hospitals—”in cases where AI use may endanger human life.”
“We must ensure that artificial intelligence serves the public in a safe and effective manner, and not, God forbid, the opposite,” Erblich concluded.
The letter was co-signed by Prof. Yosef Press, former director of Schneider Children’s Medical Center and president of LeMa’anchem, and Dr. Gadi Neuman, deputy director of Beilinson Hospital and the organization’s vice president for research and innovation.
LeMa’anchem is an Israeli nonprofit organization that offers medical counseling and guidance to patients navigating complex medical situations.
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