Tragedy in Brazil
A 32-year-old woman, Rebeca Cardoso Tenente Molina, died in Brazil after a glitch in the Core-MG artificial intelligence system. The AI, used to assess patient conditions, downgraded the severity of her state, resulting in a refusal to admit her to intensive care. She passed away on June 16, 2026, in São João Nepomuceno, a city in the state of Minas Gerais. This incident has sparked a heated debate about the risks of relying on automated systems in healthcare.
Rebeca was initially hospitalized with a suspected gallstone disease. The Core-MG system assigned her condition a score of 6.8 out of 10, falling short of the threshold needed for the highest emergency level. For five days, she waited for care, with the system only reversing its decision after a court intervened. She was then transferred to a hospital 300 kilometers away, but died from septic shock. Forensic experts are now also investigating the possibility of botulism infection.
Family and Public Reaction
The victim's family blames the AI system for negligence and involuntary manslaughter. Rebeca’s twin sister, lawyer Samela Cardoso Tenente Furtado, voiced her concerns:
“We saw that doctors lost their autonomy in determining the severity of a patient's illness. It is no longer the doctor at the bedside who decides if a patient is critically ill, but an automated Center. My sister was in an extremely serious condition and should have received the maximum 10th level of emergency. Instead, the system rated her condition at only 6.8 points.” - Samela Cardoso Tenente Furtado
The Minas Gerais State Health Department defends the use of the technology, stating that “aligning bed availability with the overall clinical needs of the patient” is a crucial aspect of medical practice. However, the tragedy involving Rebeca Cardoso Tenente Molina raises serious questions about the reliability of artificial intelligence in critical situations where patients' lives are at stake.
This event underscores the importance of verifying and controlling automated systems in medical practice, especially when the speed and accuracy of assessments can determine life or death. Despite the benefits of technology, Rebeca Cardoso Tenente Molina’s case highlights the need to balance automation with human judgment, as well as the requirement for clear regulations to prevent similar tragedies in the future.