A correct use of artificial intelligence helped a 16-year-old girl identify her diabetes before she had even spoken with a doctor. The case unfolded when A., a teenager from southern Israel, noticed unusual symptoms such as extreme thirst. She decided to consult ChatGPT, which strongly suggested she might have diabetes. The AI tool advised her to seek medical attention promptly.
A.’s mother recalled: “We didn’t want to panic, but she was very persistent that I schedule an appointment with our family doctor. Just a few hours later, the clinic called and told us to head straight to the emergency room.”
Diagnosed with diabetes
At the pediatric hospital at Soroka, A. was diagnosed with diabetes that had gone undetected until then. She was also found to be suffering from diabetic ketoacidosis, a condition that requires urgent treatment. She was hospitalized in Pediatric Ward B and received medical care to stabilize her condition. She continues to be monitored by Soroka’s diabetes and endocrinology clinic.
First-time use of AI for self-diagnosis
Prof. Aviv Goldbart, head of Pediatric Ward B at The Cheryl and Haim Saban Children’s Hospital in Soroka, commented: “This is the first time I’ve encountered a child who self-diagnosed with the help of artificial intelligence. It’s a significant development in modern medicine, and it’s important we learn how to use these tools wisely to improve health outcomes.”
This is one of the earliest documented cases of artificial intelligence being used as a diagnostic tool for teenagers. Dr. Alon Haim, head of the Diabetes and Endocrinology Clinic at Soroka, emphasized: “This case shows just how critical early diagnosis can be.”
