Artificial intelligence tool DeepSeek has recently caused a stir in the medical field. A Guangdong medical blogger revealed that a patient used DeepSeek to question his treatment plan. After verification, it was found that the AI recommendation was consistent with the updated medical guidelines, which caused the doctor to self-deprecatingly say that the sky had collapsed. At the same time, a doctor in Shenzhen encountered a patient holding a DeepSeek prescription and asked to prescribe medicine, indicating that AI has penetrated daily medical care. However, Hunan and other places have explicitly prohibited Internet hospitals from automatically generating prescriptions with AI, and the National Health Commission has also set up relevant restrictions, emphasizing that doctors must diagnose and prescribe prescriptions in person.

DeepSeek’s rise reflects the potential of AI in the medical field, but its direction of development is thought-provoking. In the short term, more medical institutions may pilot AI-assisted technologies, but policy regulations are expected to be tightened to ensure the dominance of doctors. In the long run, AI may change the landscape of the medical industry, but how to balance efficiency and safety will be the new focus in the future.

AI’s Role in Medical Diagnostics

The application of DeepSeek is not limited to patient self-examination, and medical institutions in many places in China have also begun to introduce this technology. It is reported that more than 20 Chinese hospitals have been connected to DeepSeek this month. Doctors admitted that their work efficiency has nearly doubled, especially in imaging diagnosis and difficult case analysis. For example, the director of the Department of Neurosurgery at a Grade A hospital in Beijing earlier said that DeepSeek’s level is comparable to that of provincial experts when dealing with complex brain tumor cases. However, doctors also lamented that the popularity of AI may put some positions under pressure to lay off employees.

In the United States, similar advancements are being made. AI tools like IDx-DR, which received FDA approval in 2018, are already being used to detect diabetic retinopathy. These tools have shown significant promise in improving diagnostic accuracy and efficiency. However, the integration of AI in healthcare raises ethical and regulatory questions. For instance, how do we ensure that AI recommendations are accurate and reliable? How do we protect patient privacy and data security?

Beijing lawyer Zhang Qihuai added that if AI recommendations without doctors have caused consequences, patients must bear their own risks. Mainland regulations also stipulate that prescriptions must be issued by practicing doctors, and AI can only be assisted rather than replaced. X netizen dankzheng questioned: “If Grade A hospital lay off employees due to the introduction of DeepSeek, who will be responsible for AI misdiagnosis? This is more terrifying than drivers’ misuse of assisted driving, and the impact is too wide.”

I read domestic news in the morning and said that after the imaging department of a Grade A hospital introduced DeepSeek, the eight-person team of the department was directly cut until the 4th. If the news is true and the layoffs are really because DeepSeek replaced these doctors’ jobs, that would be a horrible thing. This is just like the driver who uses assisted driving as autonomous driving when he goes on the highway. The driver just treats himself and the people in the car as a joke, and the doctor’s diagnosis has a wide range of influence.

— dank (@dankzheng) February 21, 2025

Legal and Ethical Considerations

The legal boundaries of AI medical applications have attracted much attention. Henan lawyer Fu Jian said that if an individual relies on DeepSeek for self-diagnosis and misjudgment, the platform does not need to be responsible, because his statement suggestion is for reference only, and professional diagnosis still requires doctors to confirm. Beijing lawyer Zhang Qihuai added that if AI recommendations without doctors have caused consequences, patients must bear their own risks. Mainland regulations also stipulate that prescriptions must be issued by practicing doctors, and AI can only be assisted rather than replaced.

In the U.S., the FDA has been cautious in approving AI tools for medical use. The agency requires rigorous clinical trials and real-world performance data before granting approval. This approach ensures that AI tools are safe and effective before they are widely adopted in clinical settings. However, the rapid advancement of AI technology poses new challenges for regulatory bodies. How can they keep up with the pace of innovation while ensuring patient safety?

Future Implications and Policy Directions

Many places in China have drawn a “red line” for AI medical care. In addition to Hunan, the National Health Commission’s “Internet Diagnosis and Treatment Supervision Rules” in 2022 has clearly prohibited the automatic prescription of AI, requiring doctors to receive treatment in real name and make decisions in person. A doctor from a Grade A hospital in Beijing revealed that although AI is not prescribed in the hospital, its auxiliary functions have been widely used in the diagnostic process. Experts warn that although AI improves efficiency, it cannot replace doctors’ clinical judgment, and the issues of ethics and responsibility still need to be solved.

In the U.S., similar debates are ongoing. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and other regulatory bodies are exploring ways to integrate AI into healthcare while maintaining high standards of care. The challenge lies in balancing the benefits of AI, such as improved efficiency and accuracy, with the need for human oversight and ethical considerations.

Conclusion: Navigating the Future of AI in Medicine

DeepSeek’s rise reflects the potential of AI in the medical field, but its direction of development is thought-provoking. In the short term, more medical institutions may pilot AI-assisted technologies, but policy regulations are expected to be tightened to ensure the dominance of doctors. In the long run, AI may change the landscape of the medical industry, but how to balance efficiency and safety will be the new focus in the future. As AI continues to evolve, it is crucial for policymakers, healthcare providers, and patients to work together to ensure that these technologies are used responsibly and ethically.