A Brazilian family is suing after a critically ill woman allegedly died without receiving an ICU bed because a hospital algorithm repeatedly ranked her too low for emergency treatment. Her relatives claim doctors pushed for a transfer, only for an automated system to override their assessment time and again. The case has sparked alarm over whether AI-powered tools are being allowed to make life-and-death decisions once left to medical professionals.
Artificial intelligence is quietly reshaping global healthcare, but the death of Rebeca Cardoso Tenente Molina highlights concerns that software can influence a patient's chances of survival without ever making a medical diagnosis. Reporting by Brazilian outlet MG1 revealed that the 32-year-old psychologist died following a five-day delay in being moved to intensive care, a holdup allegedly driven by a state-managed algorithm used to ration hospital beds.
