Incoming WMA president says AI cannot replace doctors ‘even in 30 years’

AI is now a workforce issue, and the medical field is no exception.

Nothing showed this better than a recent debate over physician demand and supply projections. Advances in humanoid robots, dubbed “physical AI,” also suggest the possibility of replacing doctors. Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated that robots will surpass surgical specialists within three years, even advising students against attending medical school.

However, some argue that “human doctors cannot be replaced even after 30 years, let alone three years.” Park Jung-yul, chair of the International Cooperation Committee at the Korean Medical Association (KMA), is one of them.

Park Jung-yul, chair of the International Cooperation Committee of the Korean Medical Association and the incoming president of the World Medical Association, met with reporters last Wednesday to discuss his feelings on the election, plans, and pending issues. (KBR photo)

In an interview with reporters last Wednesday, Park stated that “a doctor's autonomy and expertise,” which prioritize patient safety, cannot be replaced by anything. He added that even the power of the state cannot arbitrarily undermine this. His words carry extra weight as they come from the next president of the World Medical Association (WMA), often called the “United Nations of Doctors.”

Founded in 1947, the WMA is one of the world's three major healthcare organizations, with medical associations from 118 countries serving as full members. Korea formally joined it in 1949. Since its founding, the WMA has discussed the professional autonomy of physicians worldwide, the establishment of medical ethics, and global health policies. In 2024, when the Yoon Suk Yeol administration decided to increase the medical school enrollment quota by 2,000 students and the medical community protested, the WMA supported the collective action of Korean doctors. Former WMA presidents, Lujain Al-Qodmani and Ashok Philip, also voiced support for the Korean medical community and criticized the government's actions.

Park was elected as the next president of the WMA at the WMA General Assembly last October. He is the second Korean to hold this position, following the late former Minister of Health and Social Affairs Moon Tae-jun in 1985. Park served as chair of the WMA Finance and Planning Committee in 2019 and was elected president-elect of the WMA in 2023. He will assume the presidency in October.

Park graduated from Korea University College of Medicine and earned his master's and doctoral degrees from the same university's graduate school. He is a board-certified neurosurgeon. He specializes in stereotactic brain surgery and spinal disorders at the Department of Neurosurgery in Korea University Anam Hospital.

Question: As a Korean, you've been elected as the second WMA president. Considering the current situation facing the Korean medical community, the responsibility must feel even heavier.

Answer: I feel a greater sense of responsibility than joy. I view this election as WMA president, not as a personal honor, but rather as recognition of the achievements made by the Korean Medical Association and Korean physicians within the international community. I will use this opportunity to share and discuss the experiences of the Korean medical community, which has upheld medical professionalism and ethics even in difficult environments, with the international community. Simultaneously, based on diverse perspectives and solidarity within the international community, I will work to explore the direction the Korean medical community should take.

Q: What are the core tasks you absolutely want to accomplish during your term as president?

A: Moving beyond representing any specific country, I will lay the foundation for physicians worldwide to be respected for their professional autonomy and independence, based on the highest ethical guidelines and norms. I will do my utmost to create an environment where physicians across all member countries can practice medicine with conviction, free from political and administrative pressure, grounded in professionalism and scientific evidence.

Q: Following recent conflicts with the government, more young doctors are looking abroad. Can the WMA support its participation in the international community?

A: The participation and cooperation of the younger generation are becoming increasingly important, not just in the medical field. However, it is regrettable that the reality of the government-doctor conflicts lies behind the active pursuit of international engagement by young Korean doctors. The younger generation must participate more actively in policy formulation and decision-making processes.

The WMA operates not only the “Junior Doctors Network (JDN)” but also an associate membership system for individual sign-ups. Without the burden of membership fees or activity restrictions, members can share information and propose policies through the WMA network.

The Korean Medical Association also aims to encourage and support young doctors' participation in international networks. Starting with this year's CMMAO (Confederation of Medical Associations in Asia and Oceania) General Assembly in Seoul, various additional support measures will be introduced.

Q: Recent advances in AI and robotics are shaking the world. “AI doctors” and workforce replacement have long been topics of discussion in the medical community. How does the WMA view this issue?

A: The WMA views AI not as “artificial intelligence” but as “augmented intelligence.” It acknowledges that AI has reached a stage where it reduces errors and assists in the clinical process. However, it believes AI requires human oversight and supervision and has not yet reached the level of “human-centered judgment and decision-making” based on creativity. This applies equally to diagnosis, testing, and research beyond treatment. While the time required for information acquisition and discernment has been drastically reduced, the entity responsible for evaluating its accuracy and taking responsibility for the outcomes must always be a human healthcare professional.

Recently, Elon Musk publicly declared that AI-based humanoid robots would replace surgical specialists within three years. This won't happen in three years -- or even in 30 years. This isn't merely about the emotional rapport between doctor and patient. Only humans can instantly judge whether a decision is harmful or beneficial to a patient and respond accordingly. This is an area that AI, no matter how advanced, and robotics, no matter how sophisticated, cannot fully replicate.

The trend where technological advancement fuels intensified competition between companies is also concerning. This is not opposition to technological progress itself. Some aspects deserve respect and acceptance. However, we have reached a point where the international community must deliberate on the ethical norms and oversight required for its implementation. The WMA has also initiated discussions encompassing AI-related healthcare, industry, and education. Amidst rapid change, we must collectively consider how to provide new technologies to patients and citizens and integrate them into the healthcare system.

Q: The WMA has repeatedly warned that unprepared, rapid expansion of medical school enrollment degrades the quality of medical education and threatens patient safety.

A: Before expanding enrollment, the necessary education and training infrastructure to produce healthcare professionals meeting international standards must first be established. The quality of medical school education and training institutions, along with systems to evaluate and continuously manage and supervise them, must be guaranteed. Only then will increasing or decreasing the number of physicians not compromise patient safety or reduce healthcare quality.

In forecasting physician workforce supply and demand, adjustments should be made after completing at least one full cycle of the four- to six-year medical school curriculum, followed by a one- to two-year evaluation period. This evaluation should incorporate population changes and key demand indicators (such as appropriate healthcare utilization rates). Establishing mid- to long-term milestones in this manner is considered the preferred workforce forecasting process at the advanced nation stage.

Q: The WMA supported the collective resignations chosen by medical residents in 2024 against government policy. In Korea, the perception remains widespread that a resident's resignation is not the exercise of a worker's right, but rather a refusal of care, using patients' lives as hostages.

A: Trainee doctors' collective actions should not be oversimplified into a dichotomous conflict of “patient safety vs. doctors’ rights.” When doctors can practice medicine with conviction, grounded in scientific evidence and professional judgment—that is, when their autonomy is guaranteed—patient safety and the quality of healthcare ultimately become sustainable. The WMA's support, in this context, underscored the international ethical principle that “doctors’ professional autonomy and rights must be protected.”

Q: Amid the Covid-19 pandemic and successive conflicts over medical policies, Korea's healthcare system has endured through an emergency care system. Consequently, the issue of healthcare worker burnout has also surfaced. How does the WMA view this “grind-it-out” environment and physicians' right to health?

A: The “burnout” practice of shifting work onto existing medical staff without sufficient personnel or institutional support falls far short of the global standards proposed by the WMA. The WMA clearly recommends ensuring safe maximum working hours, adequate rest, reduction of non-clinical workload burdens, and guaranteeing physicians' right to participate in decision-making processes regarding their own working conditions.

The revised “Geneva Declaration” of 2017 explicitly states, “Physicians will care for their own health and ‘well-being’ to care for their patients.” In other words, physicians' right to health is a prerequisite for patient safety. To genuinely safeguard patient safety, we must build a sustainable healthcare system that institutionally protects physicians' health and well-being, rather than relying on emergency responses that depend on medical professionals' dedication.

Q: While the nearly two-year medical-political conflict has concluded, tensions surrounding government healthcare policies persist. What would you advise the government amid lingering sparks for a new conflict?

A: By 2026, we must move beyond conflict and aim for the reconstruction and recovery of healthcare aligned with international standards. Above all, it must become the inaugural year of “Healthcare for the Future.” Ensuring the autonomy of experts and clinical independence is the only path to guarantee the development and sustainability of the national healthcare system. The government must build a genuine partnership with the medical community, grounded in procedural legitimacy and meeting global standards. This requires democratic dialogue and scientific evidence. When the government and the medical community restore trust through mutual respect, I believe Korean healthcare will once again shine at the pinnacle of the world's healthcare.

Q: Any message for Korean physicians who are also members of WMA?

A: As the next WMA president, I aim to serve as a bridge between Korean physicians and the international community. The WMA will be a steadfast pillar, enabling Korean physicians to assert their rights and fulfill their professional duties without isolation on the international stage. I pledge unstinting support for Korean healthcare to once again leap forward as a model for the international community.