Latest news with #ZhangShaodian
Alalam24
25-05-2025
- Health
- Alalam24
World's First AI Clinic Begins Operations in Saudi Arabia
In an unprecedented global move, Chinese startup Sinohey AI has announced the opening of the world's first fully AI-powered medical clinic in the Al-Ahsa region of eastern Saudi Arabia, in collaboration with Al-Mousa Health Group. This pilot project follows promising results from the company's AI model, which recorded an error rate of less than 0.3% in previous tests—comparable to human error in medical diagnoses, according to a report by Bloomberg. The initiative is still in its early stages, with the AI model currently available to a limited number of patients for free. A human doctor remains present to oversee the diagnostic and treatment processes. After each consultation, the medical reports and decisions generated by the AI are submitted to Saudi health authorities for review and accuracy checks, in preparation for official licensing within the next 18 months, according to company CEO Zhang Shaodian. The clinic operates through direct interaction between the patient and the intelligent model, named Dr. Hua, via tablets available on-site. Patients enter their symptoms, after which the model may request lab tests or imaging, which are carried out by qualified medical staff. The AI then analyzes the results and suggests a treatment plan, which is reviewed by an independent human doctor before being given to the patient. Currently, Dr. Hua can diagnose around 30 types of respiratory diseases. The company aims to expand this to 50 conditions, including those affecting the respiratory, dermatological, and digestive systems. Coordination with Saudi authorities is ongoing to expand the trial and open additional AI-based clinics in the coming months. Despite the company's long-term goal of eliminating the need for human doctors in non-emergency cases, the current model is still under strict human supervision. A physician must be on-site and ready to intervene when needed, ensuring a balance between technological innovation and medical safety.
NDTV
17-05-2025
- Health
- NDTV
World's First AI Doctor Clinic Opens In Saudi Arabia
The world's first clinic where patients will be diagnosed using artificial intelligence (AI) has opened in Saudi Arabia. A China-based medical technology company called Synyi AI has partnered with Almoosa Health Group for the trial programme, which began last month in the eastern province of Al-Ahsa, according to a report in Leaders magazine. The clinic aims to replace human doctors as the first point of contact for diagnosing and treating patients. However, humans are still involved in the system as "safety gatekeepers". "AI Clinic is an innovative medical service system where AI doctors independently complete the full-chain medical operations from inquiry to prescription, with human doctors acting as "safety gatekeepers" to review the diagnosis and treatment results," the Shanghai-based company said in a statement. How does the AI clinic work? After patients arrive at the clinic, they describe their symptoms using a tablet computer to an AI "doctor" called "Dr Hua". Akin to a real doctor, the AI variant follows up with more questions and analyses data and images taken with the help of human assistants. Once the consultation is over, Dr Hua provides a treatment plan, which is signed off by a human doctor after a thorough review. Human doctors remain available for emergencies that AI cannot handle. Currently, the AI doctor is limited to providing consultation about respiratory illness, covering about 30 diseases such as asthma and pharyngitis. Synyi AI is aiming to expand the doctor's database to cover 50 respiratory, gastroenterological, and dermatological diseases. The pilot programme's diagnostic data will be submitted to Saudi authorities with approval expected within 18 months. As per Synyi AI, the technology had an error rate of 0.3 per cent during a testing phase, prior to the ongoing trial. "What AI has done in the past is to assist doctors, but now we are taking the final step of the journey to let AI diagnose and treat the patients directly," said Synyi AI CEO Zhang Shaodian. The company, backed by Tencent, Hongshan Capital, GGV Capital and local government, claims to use localised large language models (LLMs) for the AI models, which is customised with region-specific medical language, local languages and cultural nuances.
