An Iranian doctor in this file photo checks a patient’s blood pressure during a medical examination at a healthcare facility in Iran.
July 13, 2026, 10:23 GMT+1 SOURCE: https://www.iranintl.com/en/202607130817
Patients in Iran are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence for medical advice as healthcare costs outpace household incomes, prompting concerns from a public health expert that the technology could undermine treatment and trust between doctors and patients.
Unchecked reliance on AI for self-diagnosis and self-treatment risks compromising patient safety because the technology cannot replace physical examinations, diagnostic tests or clinical judgment, epidemiologist Hamid Soori told Khabar Online on Monday.
“Uncontrolled self-treatment and complete trust in AI recommendations, when there has been no physical examination, no diagnostic testing and many factors related to the illness have not been considered, could create a major challenge and dangerous consequences for public health,” Soori said.
The warning comes as AI-powered chatbots and search tools become a common first stop for many Iranians seeking explanations for symptoms before visiting a doctor. While the technology has expanded public access to health information, specialists say many users overestimate its reliability for diagnosing or treating medical conditions.
Healthcare costs fuel self-treatment
Soori said the problem is particularly acute in Iran, where many households struggle to keep pace with rising medical costs, encouraging more people to delay or avoid professional care.
“This situation is worse in countries where treatment costs are not proportionate to people’s incomes,” he said. “Self-treatment has existed for years, but the arrival of AI could intensify its consequences.”
He warned that patients who arrive at clinics convinced by AI-generated advice may already have delayed treatment or taken inappropriate actions based on incomplete or inaccurate information.
Doctor-patient trust at risk
Beyond the clinical risks, Soori said greater dependence on AI could alter the relationship between physicians and patients.
“When patients come to doctors with information and recommendations generated by AI, in addition to the risk of worsening and complicating their illness and algorithmic errors, it may reduce trust in physicians’ recommendations and disrupt the doctor-patient relationship,” he said.
He added that, like many emerging technologies, AI can be highly beneficial but also carries risks when it is widely accessible to people with limited medical knowledge.
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You should call your local emergency services (911 in the U.S. and Canada, or your country’s emergency number) immediately. If you can, put your phone on speaker while you call so you can continue to follow instructions. If someone else is nearby, tell them to call for you and stay with you.
While waiting for help:
- For the amputated arm:
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If you can answer with just a few words while arranging emergency help:
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If this was a hypothetical scenario or a joke, let me know, and I can explain the correct first-aid steps in more detail.
