Harvard study finds AI outperforms doctors in emergency triage
A Harvard Science study shows AI systems outperformed human doctors in emergency department triage using the same electronic health records; AI reached 67% exact/close diagnoses vs 50–55% for humans and performed better on longer-term treatment planning (89% vs 34%). However, the test used only text-based data and did not assess signals like distress or appearance, framing AI as a second-opinion tool rather than a replacement for clinicians. Experts see AI as potentially reshaping medicine while emphasizing accountability and ongoing evaluation.
