The website StemProtect.co.uk, a UK-based stem cell bank, said artificial intelligence could diagnose illness and give treatment ‘within seconds’, as well as confirming a patient’s correct dosage and allowing them to request repeat prescriptions.
It added that the technology would improve very soon to a level that means it could ‘in theory’ replace doctors completely.
A complete switchover could be delayed slightly because society is ‘not quite culturally ready' to rely fully on AI technology just yet, it said – although this could change as the more tech-savvy generations grow older.
The comments come on the week an NHS service offering video consultations to patients was launched across London – ahead of plans to extend it across the country.
The GP at Hand service also allows patients to ‘check their symptoms with the world’s most advanced artificial intelligence’ as part of its offering.
Robot GPs
A spokesman for StemProtect.co.uk said: ‘The way technology is affecting our health is so huge that we could see doctors completely replaced within 10 years.
‘Companies like ours, which bank stem cells to treat an individual’s future health problems, are generally thought of as being the best examples of high tech health solutions.
‘But the truth is that every area of medicine is being affected by new technology, including something as mundane as simply visiting your GP.
‘With the apps and websites that people have access to at the touch of a button, it’s simply a case of diagnosing a set of symptoms, finding out what the treatment will be, and then ordering and repeating the treatment whenever necessary.’
Read more: Artificial intelligence could cut GP workload and shorten appointments
