He lost half his vision to glaucoma. Now he's using AI to help spot disease — but he says tech will never replace doctors.

At just 26, Kevin Choi faced a life-altering diagnosis: glaucoma. This progressive eye condition silently damages the optic nerve and often goes unnoticed until significant vision loss occurs. By the time Choi's condition was identified, he had already lost half of his sight, a reality that left him feeling frustrated and panicked. Determined to make a difference, Choi, an engineer and former rifleman in South Korea's Marine Corps, co-founded Mediwhale, a healthtech startup, with his vitreoretinal surgeon. Their goal? To harness the power of artificial intelligence to detect diseases before symptoms emerge and damage becomes irreversible. Mediwhale's innovative technology allows for non-invasive retinal scans to screen for a range of conditions, including cardiovascular, kidney, and eye diseases. Currently, their solutions are primarily implemented in South Korea, with additional hospitals in Dubai, Italy, and Malaysia adopting the technology. Recently, Mediwhale announced a successful $12 million Series A2 funding round led by Korea Development Bank, aiming to further enhance their AI capabilities. Choi emphasizes that AI's strength lies in its ability to expedite the screening process, enabling healthcare providers to make informed decisions quickly — a critical factor in cases where timely intervention can prevent severe consequences. Conditions like heart disease, kidney failure, and glaucoma often lack early warning signs, making early detection essential. For patients grappling with chronic issues such as diabetes or obesity, the implications are even greater. Swift identification of potential complications can provide more treatment options and improve patient outcomes. Mediwhale’s AI effectively categorizes patients by risk levels, indicating who requires immediate attention and who can be monitored. This technology streamlines the screening process, allowing patients to bypass traditional tests like blood tests and CT scans when assessing cardiovascular and kidney risks. Moreover, when patients visualize their health risks through retinal scans, they tend to engage more seriously with their health management. However, Choi is firm in his stance that AI is not a substitute for human doctors. Patients often seek the comfort and insight that only a physician can provide. He acknowledges that medicine is complex and often messy, requiring more than just data analysis. AI excels at addressing defined problems but struggles with the nuanced decision-making essential in healthcare. For instance, a doctor's role extends to understanding how a treatment may impact a patient's life, their adherence to prescribed plans, and the emotional factors influencing their health. These elements go far beyond mere statistics, allowing doctors to guide patients effectively, even when they express hesitation about new medications. Choi believes that these intricate decision-making processes are vital and cannot solely rely on data processing.