Doctors in Catalonia demand a retraction or the resignation of Pané for saying that AI diagnoses better

BarcelonaThe Doctors of Catalonia union has taken a stand against the words of the Catalan Minister of Health, Olga Pané, who stated that artificial intelligence (AI) diagnoses better than healthcare professionals. In a message on social media, the union urged Pané to apologize and retract her statement. Specifically, the Minister of Health asserted the following: "[AI] diagnoses with an accuracy equal to or greater than that which we professionals ourselves can achieve." According to the union, Pané's statement is "completely unbecoming of a Minister of Health" and they believe that "she should not be able to say this without consequences." "A Minister cannot say this, because she is making her opinion of doctors very clear," stated the organization's general secretary, Xavier Lleonart. Furthermore, in the video they added that "in any normal country, she would at least issue an apology." Therefore, they demand that the councilor issue a public retraction and, failing that, they assert that they will be forced to formally request her dismissal.

In the same video, union members joke about the idea that perhaps they could "innovate and find an AI" to replace the health minister and say that "it would be good" to ask the public "what is easier to replace with an AI," medical professionals or the health minister.

Finally, the video ends with images of an AI-generated health advisor who asserts that "doctors have unique characteristics that must be recognized" and that progress must be made toward a medical agreement.

27 million agreement

Minister Pané made these statements at an event in Lleida last Thursday, where the Catalan government and the Spanish government signed the first national agreement to promote AI projects in the healthcare sector. The agreement formalizes a contribution of 27 million euros from European funds to improve home care and personalized attention. The government intends to extend the agreement to the other autonomous communities, as explained by the Minister for Digital Transformation and Public Administration, Óscar López, accompanied by the Prime Minister, Salvador Illa.