AI Startup Cofounded by Glaucoma Patient Aims to Catch Diseases Early, But Founder Insists Tech Won’t Replace Doctors

Kevin Choi, at 26, faced a life-changing diagnosis: glaucoma, a progressive eye disease that damaged his optic nerve and left him with only half of his vision. Despite his background as an engineer and a former rifleman in South Korea's Marine Corps, Choi was caught off guard by the disease's stealthy nature. This experience drove him to cofound Mediwhale, a South Korea-based healthtech startup, alongside his vitreoretinal surgeon in 2016. Mediwhale’s primary focus is on using artificial intelligence (AI) to detect diseases early through non-invasive retinal scans. The technology can screen for cardiovascular, kidney, and eye diseases, allowing for timely interventions before symptoms become evident and irreversible damage occurs. Retinal scans provide a window into various health issues, making early detection and risk assessment more accessible and efficient. Choi emphasizes the critical role of AI in the initial stages of care, particularly in screening. For diseases like glaucoma, heart disease, and kidney failure, which often show no early symptoms, AI can help healthcare providers make faster and more accurate decisions. This is especially important for patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes or obesity, where early complications can lead to serious health issues like dementia, liver disease, heart problems, or kidney failure. By flagging low-risk, high-risk, and those needing immediate attention, Mediwhale's AI tool streamlines the triage process, ensuring that patients receive timely care. The technology offers a user-friendly approach, allowing patients to bypass traditional diagnostic methods such as blood tests, CT scans, and ultrasounds for initial screenings. Choi notes that visualizing health risks through retinal scans makes the information more tangible and compelling for patients, encouraging them to take preventive measures more seriously. By September 2023, Mediwhale had raised $12 million in its Series A2 funding round, led by Korea Development Bank. The company's tech has been adopted in hospitals across South Korea, with additional implementations in Dubai, Italy, and Malaysia. This rapid expansion underscores the potential of AI in healthcare diagnostics and patient management. However, Choi is adamant that AI will never replace human doctors. He acknowledges that while AI excels at solving defined problems and processing data, it falls short in handling the nuances and complexities of medical practice. Doctors bring a human element to healthcare that includes understanding a patient's unique circumstances, emotional state, and likelihood of adhering to treatment plans. These aspects are crucial for effective medical care and decision-making, and they are areas where AI still struggles. Choi highlights that doctors are trained to navigate patients’ irrational behaviors and provide the reassurance and guidance that AI cannot. "Medicine often requires a different dimension of decision-making," he said, emphasizing that AI tools should complement, not supplant, the judgment and expertise of healthcare professionals. Industry insiders echo Choi's sentiments, noting that the integration of AI in healthcare is a promising development that can enhance diagnostic accuracy and efficiency. However, they stress that the human touch remains irreplaceable in the patient-doctor relationship. Mediwhale's success is a testament to the growing importance of AI in healthcare, but it also underscores the need for a balanced approach where technology supports rather than replaces human expertise.