Latvia's emergency medical service warns against relying on AI for health advice

Latvia's Emergency Medical Service (NMPD) has cautioned the public against turning to artificial intelligence tools for advice when facing health problems, after dispatchers noticed a growing number of people consulting AI before seeking medical help.

According to the service, AI cannot replicate what a doctor or emergency specialist does — physically examining a patient, asking all the relevant follow-up questions, and assessing the overall situation with proper medical judgment.

A risk in both directions

NMPD points out that AI advice can mislead in two opposite ways. In some cases, the technology overestimates the severity of a situation, recommending a call to the 112 emergency line even when a person only has common cold symptoms or a mild fever that poses no threat to life. In other cases, AI may fail to properly weigh all symptoms together, leaving people with a false impression of their actual health condition.

Where to turn instead

For health-related questions, NMPD recommends first contacting a family doctor. When one is unavailable, people can call the Family Doctors' Consultation Line at 66016001, which operates on weekdays from 17:00 to 8:00 and around the clock on weekends and public holidays. If the specialists on the line determine the situation is serious, they will themselves direct the caller to emergency services or a hospital.