‘Mediocre doctors won’t be needed’: Prof. Ido Wolf on AI’s future role in medicine

Prof. Ido Wolf, head of Tel Aviv University's School of Medicine, predicts that artificial intelligence will replace average doctors in the next ten years. He emphasizes that the question is not whether AI will replace doctors, but when they will be replaced. Wolf has been leading the university for four years, a period marked by significant challenges such as the judicial overhaul, the October 7 attack, and the ongoing war.

During this time, the university had to adapt to changing circumstances and address concerns over an academic boycott of Israel. Wolf highlights two major challenges he faced during his tenure: successfully completing international accreditation for Israeli medical graduates to integrate into the US medical system, and increasing the number of students in the faculty to address the consequences of the "Yatziv Reform."

Under Wolf's leadership, the university reduced study material in preclinical years by 25%, leading to the WFME's full recognition of Israeli medical schools in December 2025. This recognition allows Israeli medical graduates to take U.S. medical licensing exams and advance to residency programs without regulatory barriers. The university also focused on preparing for the Yatziv Reform, which pressured medical schools to add more students and organize clinical training sites.

Wolf acknowledges the difficulties of the past four years, including the impact of the war on students, many of whom were drafted into reserve duty or called up for duty. Despite these challenges, Tel Aviv University successfully integrated ultra-Orthodox Jews into higher education, despite the controversial proposal for gender separation in graduate academic programs.