Dr. Loreto Carmona: “It’s time for technology to help us—not the other way around”

Whenever we have the opportunity to film expert commentary videos with Dr. Loreto Carmona, we like to explore other topics related to medicine and medical education.

One of her most distinctive traits is the way she explains complex ideas and concepts—she makes them clear and easy to understand for everyone. That’s quite different from what we often see nowadays, where complexity is mistaken for quality. But what if we chose to simplify instead?

Healthcare professionals aren’t only researchers. They also treat patients, explain tough concepts, and answer difficult questions. Being able to communicate in a clear and approachable way can have a powerful, positive impact on patients and their families.

And it seems that one of the best tools to support them in that mission is Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Would you like to know how?

Dr. Loreto Carmona is optimistic about the changes Artificial Intelligence will bring to medicine.

She refers to it as the “El Dorado” of medical consultations.

“We won’t need to write patient histories anymore. We’ll have our own ‘Alexa’ in the consultation room—recording the clinical encounter, summarizing the key points, and even identifying high-risk patients,” she explains.

But that’s just the beginning. AI will be able to detect patterns, flag pending or abnormal tests, integrate decision-support tools into the patient’s record, and even manage referrals automatically.

What will that allow us to do?

“We’ll have more time to actually talk to the patient,” she says. “That’s the reason we’re here. That’s what medicine is about. We need quality time to make decisions together, to understand the social context of each condition.”

And that’s more important than it may seem. Just think: how many times have we sat silently in a doctor’s office while they stared at a screen, typing away, barely engaging with us?

This change won’t just impact doctors—nurses are already beginning to use customized tools like “Lupus GPT” to support their care routines.

Of course, these advances come with their own challenges.

Can you guess what they are?

Keep reading to find out.

Dr. Loreto Carmona speaks with honesty and clarity. She knows that the arrival of these new technologies will not be without complications.

“Probably the biggest challenge is equity—ensuring this technology is accessible to everyone.”

While progress is being made, access remains the main barrier. Until costs come down and hospital systems are ready to integrate these tools, widespread implementation will take time.

Another obstacle is the technical and complex language surrounding AI. This often creates a communication gap with decision-makers—the ones who must approve the introduction of these systems into healthcare settings.

Legal concerns and a general lack of clarity around regulations also add to the uncertainty. Clearly, a higher level of understanding and guidance is needed.

And we mustn’t forget: there is no single AI. There’s enormous variability between systems, which makes standardization essential. From the start, implementation must be done with solid medical criteria and clear protocols.

When we asked Dr. Carmona whether her colleagues are as optimistic as she is about the implementation of AI in medicine, she couldn’t help but smile and shake her head.

“My colleagues are human beings,” she finally said. “I think all points of view are valid, but it’s clear that some doctors are more open to it, while others are terrified of AI.”

In the end, we all want our work to become more manageable, don’t we?

Maybe that’s the right way to present AI—as an ally.

“We need more examples of good AI so we don’t just associate it with TikTok videos and deepfakes,” Dr. Carmona says sincerely.

One of the clearest examples of how AI can be useful is actually how she uses it to coordinate the continuing education programs she leads.

Dr. Carmona explains that her approach to course coordination is quite intuitive.

“I read the articles, reflect on them, and try to summarize them in simpler terms. Then I connect the content with other things I know—things I think we should know or that might be useful for rheumatologists.”

That’s when AI comes into play.

She finds it especially helpful when creating questions:

“If you input all the information and ask for suggestions, it can help you get started—or even come up with questions that are better formulated or more interesting than the ones you would have asked yourself.”

And that’s not a bad thing. It’s important to stop seeing AI as a competitor and start seeing it as a medical professional’s assistant.

“I see it as a kind of fellow who helps you out,” she explains. “It doesn’t fully know if it’s doing things right, which is why it’s essential to give it good feedback so it can improve.”

Without a doubt, we’re left with this positive approach—and we hope you too can turn this incredible technology into a valuable tool in your work and research.