Ministry of Health blocks the use of artificial intelligence tools in hospitals
The Israeli Ministry of Health made a surprising decision this week and blocked access to all artificial intelligence (AI) tools on the computers of government hospitals across the country. The decision came as a complete surprise to medical staff and administrative employees, who had been using these tools as part of their daily work routine.
The main reason for this dramatic move is the grave concern for patient privacy. The Ministry of Health explains that entering sensitive medical information into external artificial intelligence systems could expose citizens' personal details and violate the medical confidentiality required by law.
Information security experts note that popular tools today, such as AI-based chatbots, sometimes save the information that users input. This information could reach unauthorized parties or be used to train additional models, which poses a significant security and privacy risk to the public health system.
As of now, employees in government hospitals cannot access these websites or applications through the organizational networks. The Ministry of Health emphasizes that this is a preventive measure intended to protect the medical information of the entire public in Israel, until more secure and regulated solutions for the use of this technology are found.