A new warning in STAT argues that U.S. healthcare is not prepared for AI-enabled cyberattacks that can shut down hospitals, delay treatment, divert ambulances and turn ransomware incidents into direct patient-safety crises. The piece says cybercriminals are gaining access to more powerful AI tools while providers still rely on fragmented and underfunded defenses. It calls for faster, sector-wide action to harden infrastructure and reduce ransomware exposure before more attacks translate into clinical harm. For health systems already balancing digital transformation with security risk, the warning reinforces that cybersecurity is increasingly a patient-care issue, not just an IT function.
