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Chaos at Flydubai Flight After Pilot Stabbed by Co-Pilot; Pete Hegseth Announces New Autonomous Weapons Command. Aired 12a-1a ET

Aired October 01, 2026 - 00:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM, what we know about the heroes who rushed the cockpit and stopped an apparent attempted hijacking in the sky. You will hear from Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu about the attack.

Plus, the future of warfare is here. The Pentagon's sweeping new plan to put artificial intelligence at the center of military operations.

And fires in the streets and growing frustration in the classroom. Student protests are spreading across France just as the government prepares new spending cuts.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Good to have you with us. And we begin in Israel, where passengers on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv are describing a nightmare in the sky after the co-pilot allegedly violently attacked the pilot, forcing the plane to be diverted to Saudi Arabia. But despite the complete chaos in the cabin, they landed safely at Ben- Gurion Airport on Wednesday.

A group of passengers rushed the cockpit to subdue the co-pilot and render medical aid to the pilot. The airline says on-duty crew managed to take control of the plane. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the co-pilot, who has not been identified, was trying to crash the plane on purpose and investigators are searching for a motive in what Israel calls an attempted terrorist attack.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKA BAUMAN, FLYDUBAI PASSENGER: We just felt the plane drop completely and start spinning a little, and everyone was screaming. There were children crying and it was just like a death in front of our eyes moment, like I was just sure I was going to die.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Benjamin Netanyahu met with passengers at Ben-Gurion Airport, some still bloodied from the incident. He praised the heroism of the pilot for fighting back and preventing a 9/11 disaster. The Israeli prime minister spoke with CNN's Jim Sciutto.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: You warned yesterday that enemies were going to attack Israel ahead of the elections. Did you have any warning or intelligence about an attack such as this one?

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: No, not specifically. What we had is a lot of information streaming in that Iran's proxies, in particular Hezbollah and Hamas, were planning attacks against Israel and Israeli civilians abroad. But I can't tell you that we had any specific warning about this. This is being interrogated right now. The pilot, the attacking pilot, is now being interrogated in Saudi Arabia.

I assume very soon he'll be taken to the United Arab Emirates. I spoke to the president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, and he agreed that Israel would join the interrogation. So we'll find out very soon if Iran had anything to do with it. But I can't say that in advance of the conclusion of the interrogation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Again, the co-pilot has not been identified, and we don't have any information on whether he has any ties to terrorist organizations.

We get more now from CNN's Jerusalem correspondent, Jeremy Diamond. First, a warning, though his report contains some graphic video.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How much time you need? How much time we need?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The wounded man being treated aboard this bloodstained aircraft isn't a passenger. He's the pilot. And lying just a few feet away from him also wounded is the man who allegedly stabbed him and tried to hijack the plane, his co-pilot.

Flydubai Flight 1073 was bound for Tel Aviv from Dubai. About two hours and 15 minutes later, the plane plummets, dropping more than 17,000 feet in under two minutes. Passengers aboard this Israel bound flight say the plane began spinning out of control before diving toward the ground until a few brave passengers and crew rushed to the cockpit.

ASSAF RAJUAN, SUBDUED ATTACKER (through translator): We are here on the plane right now. We've taken control of the terrorists. We are about to land.

DIAMOND (voice-over): Assaf Rajuan is one of those passengers. Together, he says they took down the would be hijacker and restrained him for nearly an hour.

RAJUAN (through translator): It wasn't a prolonged battle. We neutralized him very quickly. There was no real fight. We aren't heroes. I'm no Van Damme.

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I was terrified for my life and my family's lives, and I didn't have total confidence until things started to clear up. And I saw that the pilot had truly regained control of the plane.

DIAMOND (voice-over): His shirt still bloodied, Yaniv Hayoun tells the Israeli prime minister how he put the attacker in a chokehold.

YANIV HAYOUN, SUBDUED ATTACKER (through translator): The plane's nose was pitched like this. I called out to a bunch of Israelis on board, and two other guys came over. We pinned him down. I jumped back, grabbed the controls and started pulling back the handles.

DIAMOND (voice-over): Celebrations in Israel. Greeting the plane's 174 passengers who are still reeling from their brush with death.

PELEG ITALY, FLYDUBAI PASSENGER: I was flying and I see the ground. Then I see the wing of the plane and the brakes, the brakes of the -- on the wing of the plane they come up and all of the plane tilts. It tilts to the other side and we start falling. We drag down five -- 15,000 feet. You feel of the G-force. You feel it on you and you squeeze into the chair.

BAUMAN: Children crying and it was just like a death in front of our eyes moment. We didn't actually know what was happening until we landed, which was like a few hours later.

DIAMOND (voice-over): The plane's captain, who managed to open the cockpit door as he was being attacked, was identified as Smit Machchhar from India. Dr. Shota Musaev, a dentist who worked to stabilize him on board, said Machchhar barely survived the ordeal.

DR. SHOTA MUSAEV, TREATED INJURED PILOT (through translator): If we had waited even a few more moments, we would have lost him. His blood pressure had plummeted. He suddenly lost consciousness and there was blood everywhere.

DIAMOND (voice-over): The plane was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. On the ground you can see clear damage to the plane's rudder. Both pilots were rushed to a hospital. Israeli officials say they are investigating the suspected hijacking as an attempted terrorist attack, but so far no clear motive has emerged. Authorities have yet to publicly identify the attacker or the weapon used.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Joining me now, CNN's senior national security analyst, Juliette Kayyem. She's also a Harvard professor and former assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Good to have you with us.

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Thanks for having me.

CHURCH: So questions still remain about the motive and intent behind this attack. Nothing conclusive yet. But Israel is investigating a potential terror motivation. What's your reading of what happened here?

KAYYEM: Well, I mean, you would obviously start with that theory of the case, just simply given that, you know, it was flying to Israel, there was Israelis on the plane. So, so any investigator would begin with the idea that this was a terrorist attack. But there are other alternative theories that investigators are going to be looking at because they want to understand two things. One, what motivated the pilot to do this? Was it mental illness? Was it radicalization? But secondly, were others involved?

And I think that question, you know, once answered will sort of disclose, was this just a terrible, you know, incident and fortunately stopped before it became horrific incident that had no other backing. You know, Netanyahu said Iran. There's just simply, we don't have that yet, or was this something that was urged on or even promoted by another country?

I will say the second question is that is going to have to be looked at is how did a pilot -- how did this pilot get onto the plane and not be caught, reviewed, have any sort of seeming blips that we can think of now that would have had the airline question, you know, his either mental or physical capacity?

The pilots are constantly being assessed for who they are, their politics or radicalization. And this seems like something that we need to figure out in terms of who is flying these planes, wherever they are.

CHURCH: Yes, it is very concerning question there with no answers at this juncture, at least. So what would investigators be doing right now to try to establish the motive and intent behind this attack? And how long will it likely take, do you think, to piece it all together?

KAYYEM: I think they will be able to piece this together very quickly, because you're going to have a multi -- you're going to have a bunch of intelligence agencies trying to figure this out. So they know who he is. He's also alive. So we do not know if he's speaking.

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His family and friends will speak of whether there was mental deterioration, radicalization, or whether he had contacts with others. He also -- he's a pilot. He clearly left a digital footprint. He's, you know, obviously technologically savvy. So was he communicating with others? Did he express hatred about something that would trigger this kind of horrific incident? And I think that they'll be able to figure that out relatively quickly.

I will say assessments by intelligence agencies that are being reviewed -- that are talking to reporters here in the United States see no ties yet with a foreign country. But we will determine in time, they will determine in time whether that is that sustains itself or not.

CHURCH: And Juliette, as you pointed out, I mean, we wonder about what sort of checks and balances we're behind this pilot getting on. But the other question is, how would the alleged attacker get a knife on board the plane?

KAYYEM: Yes. That's exactly right. So there is -- there was clearly a security breach. I mean, here's the irony. We have kept -- since 9/11, we kept security officials the cockpit about as pristine and secure as you could ever want it. Right? And anyone who's been on an airplane experiences that. If a pilot has to go to the restroom, they put the food container out in front to make sure that the cockpit is protected.

I will say the pilot who was stabbed, his ability to think that he needed to open that door saved over 100 people's lives today. I mean, this, that one act, and then you allow the Israelis or other passengers in to -- you know, to get the other pilot away from the gears and the cockpit and then the fortunate, you know, this coincidence that there are trained pilots on the plane who are then able to land it, you know, essentially in a, you know, in an area that they that they were not expected.

All of it is just incredibly lucky because I think through the scenario, if this had been successful, I mean, one, it would have been, you know, it would have had geopolitical outcomes vis a vis Israel, vis a vis the Gulf, UAE travel and election, both in Israel and the United States, but also, I mean, it would have made airline travel, which we have gotten pretty good about unbelievably sort of nerve-wracking for a lot of people because it would suggest that it no longer is a relatively safe form of transport.

So good news in a horrible day. Good news all around. I think both, you know, both in terms of, of course, the passengers, but I think also in terms of just a temperature reduction in global affairs.

CHURCH: And of course that stabbed pilot is being hailed a hero all around the world, particularly in his home country of India.

CNN's senior national security analyst, Juliette Kayyem, thank you so much for joining us and sharing your analysis. Appreciate it.

KAYYEM: Thank you.

CHURCH: Well, it is a new dawn of a new era for Iraq and the Middle East, with the Trump administration announcing it has completed the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq. U.S. forces left their last remaining bases in Erbil in northern Iraq on Wednesday as part of a long planned withdrawal.

The Iraqi government declared four days of public holiday and celebrations this week. The Pentagon says the withdrawal caps off a 12-year campaign that defeated ISIS in the region, and marks the transition from a wartime coalition mission to an Iraqi-led security effort. And it comes more than 20 years after the U.S. invaded Iraq and toppled its then leader, Saddam Hussein. President Trump framed the withdrawal as the close of a costly chapter

in history.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's been a long time with very bad decision-making that got us involved in this quagmire in the first place. It was a quagmire. Many, many years it lasted. But soon that part of history will be over. This is a great day for America. And importantly, we leave with Iraq having a wonderful new prime minister.

This day is a victory for the United States. It's a victory for Iraq and a decisive victory over ISIS, which has been completely decimated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Iraqi civilians celebrated the withdrawal by waving flags and dancing in the streets. Iraq's new prime minister presided over the handover ceremony and described it as the beginning of a new phase defined by Iraq's sovereignty.

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Well, meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced a new command for autonomous warfare for drones and other tech weaponry. In a speech to troops on Wednesday, Hegseth said the command will focus on artificial intelligence and robotics. It will be led by a four-star general, which likely signals a key role in future military operations.

Hegseth cited lessons learned from the war in Ukraine as the motivation for the new command. He also announced that he had ordered further cuts to the ranks of senior officers, slashing 20 percent, up from 10 percent in a previous directive. Hegseth also used the speech to repeat a number of his past criticisms of the media and military culture, while using a slur to describe transgender service members.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: You read disingenuous headlines about deployment lengths. Patently false claims of low troop morale or flat-out propaganda as if it's written by our adversaries. And frankly, sometimes it is. A free press is, of course, important. But partisan activism that intentionally smears the troops and the historic mission that they're undertaking is fundamentally anti- American.

We are no longer the woke department or the weak department. Simple translation of that, no fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals. Just warriors replacing spiritual health at the same level as physical health. Our department is, you might say, putting on the full armor of God because while we wage physical war, we all know the real battle is spiritual.

God is good. Evil is not. And America's military must understand the difference.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Hegseth's decision to cut a fifth of the U.S. military leadership while the country remains at war with Iran has drawn bipartisan criticism from lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN HOEVEN (R-ND): I think we need to take a hard look at it and whatever is done there, and I'm not sure exactly how, where we're going to go with this. We need to look at it and we need to be careful. It needs to be done right.

SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): I've done reductions in force. I've done management reviews before. There's a right way and a wrong way to do it. And quite honestly, Hegseth hasn't impressed me with his ability to go about it.

SEN. BEN RAY LUJAN (D-NM): His announcement will make America less safe and will make us less prepared.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Joining me now is CNN military analyst, retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton.

Thank you, sir, for joining us.

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: It's my pleasure, Rosemary, great to be with you.

CHURCH: So Defense Secretary Hegseth wants to cut 20 percent of the country's top military officers, even as the war in Iran continues. How might this impact America's war fighting capacity and how U.S. troops receiving this news of cuts to senior leadership?

LEIGHTON: Yes, it could impact the war fighting capability quite a bit, Rosemary. One of the things that you have to look at, of course, is where those cuts are actually going to be held. And the speech that Secretary Hegseth gave today really didn't answer that particular question. There are, you know, certainly certain positions in headquarters like the Pentagon or some of the unified commands, where there could be some redundancies that could be taken care of, and the cuts would be justified of those particular positions.

But when you're talking specific people with certain talents and certain abilities, that could get a little bit more dicey because the issue there is these people have a lot of experience, and in many cases, they're exactly the kinds of people that we want because of their experience and their knowledge that we want in positions that are critical for any war fighting efforts. So, you know, how these cuts actually come about, that's going to be a problem.

And I think a lot of the troops are looking at this with a lot of questions because they do want to be as efficient a war fighting force as possible. But if the forces are not tailored to the mission, then it's going to be a real problem. And that, I think, is really the unanswered question here.

CHURCH: Yes, indeed. And Secretary Hegseth also says he thinks the culture within the military needs to change, saying diversity is not our strength. Unity is our strength and says no more diversity quotas, no more gender pronouns. What's your response to that?

LEIGHTON: Well, first of all, I disagree with him fundamentally here. I think that diversity is absolutely a strength and out of that diversity, you can forge a unified force. And that really is the beauty of the American military because you bring people from so many diverse backgrounds.

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Together, you, you know, forge a unified component, whether it's on board a ship or in an air crew or, you know, in an intelligence unit. These people that, you know, come together from all these diverse backgrounds really are very mission focused. And if we lose that, then we lose combat effectiveness and we lose our ability to actually project power if we're not careful. So I think that in this particular situation, you're looking at diversity as being a critical element for the strength of the United States and for its ability to project power.

CHURCH: And, Colonel, some Republicans are calling for Hegseth to be replaced. Do you think that needs to happen?

LEIGHTON: Well, I think that the secretary of Defense has made a lot of mistakes during his tenure at the Pentagon. And I think that one of his first mistakes, of course, was the Signal chat, where he was on this group chat and really threw out classified information in a channel that is not secured. So that was step number one. But what is really most important here is the conduct of the Iran war.

Now, of course, he looks at all the different elements, you know, that when it comes to this and he, you know, of course, has his complaints about the press coverage. But the fact of the matter is, is that this war was not planned properly, and nor was there an explanation given to the American people and the fact that there wasn't an explanation given and really doesn't -- that really doesn't justify these efforts there or the efforts in the Caribbean, you know, against suspected drug traffickers, there are a lot of unanswered questions and a lot of, frankly, misuse of military force.

And that is something that the United States can ill afford. And I think that the way in which a lot of these efforts have been mismanaged has really resulted in not only critical shortfalls, you know, in terms of our weapons systems, but it's also resulted in a diminution of American power. And that is a dangerous situation for the United States.

CHURCH: All right. Thank you, Colonel Cedric Leighton, for joining us and sharing your military analysis on this issue. Always appreciate it. LEIGHTON: You bet, Rosemary. Thank you so much.

CHURCH: Of course.

Well, coming up here on CNN NEWSROOM, Britain's prime minister reveals a possible foreign actor behind a suspected terrorist plot against a U.K. air base. Plus, Spanish protesters are refusing to budge, saying the government's two proposed housing reform bills don't go far enough. We'll take a look at that and more. Stay with us.

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.

President Trump says he is studying a potential response against Iran after a suspected terrorist plot at an air base in England. He spoke hours after British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Tehran may have been involved in the incident at the Fairford base. The facility has been used by U.S. bombers to launch strikes on Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDY BURNHAM, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: There are strong indications that Iran played a part in what happened over the weekend at RAF Fairford. But of course it remains an ongoing complex and serious police investigation. And of course, we are working closely with our colleagues in the United States of America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Iran strongly rejected those accusations, calling them unfounded and malicious speculations. Five people were arrested near the base on Sunday and accused of terrorism and explosives related offenses, but they were later released on bail because authorities said no explosives were found. Legal experts say bail is rarely given if there are serious grounds for possible terrorism offenses.

Well, meanwhile, President Trump again says the war with Iran will end soon. And he says there are two ways that can happen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: You described the Iranians that the U.S. is dealing with as crazy. How do you get a deal done when the counterparts to the U.S. are crazy and irrational whatever you want to use to describe them?

TRUMP: Maybe you blow them up. Maybe you blow them up. We have to make that decision. We blow them up. We make a deal. But the time is coming. It's going to end very soon, one way or the other.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Earlier, Iranian state media said Tehran had received a formal response from the U.S. to its latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump had publicly rejected it over the weekend, but Iran says it did not get an official response until now.

Well, meanwhile, this is where oil prices stand after those developments. You can see there crude at 89.22, Brent crude at 96.97.

Still to come on this hour of CNN NEWSROOM, French students expand their protest, blockading schools across the country, angry at poor conditions and a lack of funding. We'll have the latest from just outside Paris. And a new drug is offering some pancreatic cancer patients the chance at a longer life. We will hear from one couple who are hoping the pills will give them more precious time together.

We'll have those stories and more after a short break. Stay with us.

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CHURCH: You are looking at live pictures right now out of Madrid in Spain, and you can see there are hundreds of housing protesters camping out in the downtown square. The movement began after an 87- year-old woman was forcibly evicted from her home last week. She has since been allowed to return home, and the government has proposed two bills to address the country's housing crisis, including banning evictions until 2030. But protesters say it's not enough and they are refusing to leave their makeshift camp.

[00:35:18]

Meanwhile, more protests are expected in France Thursday as the government unveils a budget with fresh spending cuts. Students and education workers have been taken to the streets, and angry at teacher shortages and run-down school buildings. Demonstrations and blockades spread to more than 350 schools across the country. CNN's Melissa Bell has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Fires and blockades at high schools as student protests spread across France, growing more violent by the day. In this northern French city, the front door to the school is torched, while in Paris, bikes and bins are used as barricades as students protest over a lack of funding.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voiceover): We're also protesting the lack of staff and the poor state of the school.

BELL (voiceover): It's been a month since La Rentree as the start of the school year is known in France. But the anger goes back much further. It was fueled and spread on social media, with French students using platforms like TikTok to highlight the poor conditions in their schools. At this school in Saint-Servant, the western France, they've been posting about structural issues since 2024, but they say they haven't seen any change. This week, the situation escalated sharply when police officers on horseback stormed their school, one of several strong armed efforts from French police trying to bring the situation under control. It's the sudden violence of these latest blockades that has taken many by surprise, with more than 600 people taken in by police already, according to France's Interior Ministry.

In this high school in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis, teachers tell us the violence has mainly come from the police rather than the students.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And they are very violent. They came with shields with also tear gas. They tear gas the students, even the mayor who was in the middle of the crowd.

BELL (voiceover): The blockades have also sparked a political storm, with the French president condemning the violent scenes during a visit to Spain.

EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (voiceover): I think that the violence has above all come from those who have pushed teachers and thrown them to the ground, and those that pushed journalists and got mixed up with police who are just doing their job. High schools are there to be open and to educate. They're not there to be blockaded or for bins to be burned.

BELL (voiceover): Tensions were further ignited by his prime minister, who accused the far-left political party La France Insoumise of being irresponsible and fanning the flames outside schools an accusation rejected by the party's leader.

JEAN-LUC MELENCHON, LA FRANCE INSOUMISE LEADER (voiceover): Frankly, this isn't the first time there's been a high school student movement in France. The adults need to protect these young people.

BELL (voiceover): In Saint-Denis, the teachers we spoke to are standing by their students.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They are angry because I think that they feel abandoned by the states, by the governments, and they are working and studying in terrible conditions. And so, they want a change in that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BELL: The problem for authorities is that as these protests have spread and gotten more violent and the political debate around them has intensified, the students, like the ones behind me here at this school to the north of Paris in Saint-Denis, insist that they will continue with their protests until their demands are met. Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

CHURCH: Up next, is there an appropriate use for artificial intelligence in the medical field? I will speak with a physician who says the powerful tool has its place as long as it's used correctly. We'll have that in just a moment.

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly diseases in the world. The American Cancer society puts the five-year survival rate at just 13 percent. That number plunges even further in stage four of the disease when the cancer has spread to other organs.

But a promising new drug could change that for some patients. Randi Kaye talked to one couple who are hoping the pills can give them some precious extra time.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yay.

RUSS REED, PANCREATIC CANCER PATIENT: You got to ring the bell.

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): In August 2025, Russ Reed celebrated being cancer-free. But just four months later, Russ pancreatic cancer had returned and this time had spread to his liver and intestine.

R. REED: My mutation is so aggressive. It's the most aggressive mutation for pancreatic cancer.

KAYE (voiceover): He tried chemotherapy, but nothing worked. Then came word of a brand new drug called Rasonque, showing promise but not yet approved by the FDA.

KAYE: How frustrating was it for you, for your husband to not have access to a drug that was out there?

MARNIE REED, RUSS REED'S WIFE: It was beyond frustrating.

KAYE (voiceover): Marnie Reed's father died of pancreatic cancer at 63, the same age her husband Russ was when he was diagnosed.

M. REED: I was determined this was not going to repeat itself.

KAYE (voiceover): So she took action.

[00:45:00]

M. REED: My name is Marnie Reed, and I'm trying to save my husband's life.

KAYE (voiceover): Marnie posted on social media about her husband's cancer battle and lack of access to the new drug.

M. REED: It went everywhere. The FDA called the house.

KAYE (voiceover): In the end, Russ got the medicine through the FDA's expanded access program. It took 63 days. And with pancreatic cancer, every second counts. KAYE: So, this is what you take.

R. REED: This is it. This is the Rasonque. It's two 150-milligram pills. They're pretty large.

KAYE: Oh, wow.

R. REED: I take two of those every morning.

KAYE: What does it feel like to actually have this in your hands? You waited so long.

R. REED: It feels great. You know, it's hope. It's hope in a bottle.

KAYE (voiceover): Within just 12 days of starting the new drug, Russ says his pain was gone.

R. REED: Not even a Tylenol. So it was great.

M. REED: Watching his energy come back was amazing.

KAYE: And what about the side effects?

R. REED: The rash we talked about, it's real. It's difficult, especially because you can't put a lot on your scalp, you know, so the scalp is probably the most itchy and broken out, if you will. I think it was -- it was -- it's been worse on my face.

DR. JESUS FABREGAS, ONCOLOGIST, MEMORIAL CANCER INSTITUTE: How's it going?

KAYE (voiceover): The rash is on his face, torso, arms, and legs. But he's still grateful for the medicine.

R. REED: I wouldn't be sitting here today, or if I did, I'd be writhing in pain because of the tumors. Yes, it's a game changer. It's the best thing that's happened in pancreatic in 40 years.

KAYE (voiceover): A game changer indeed. But as Russ's oncologist told me, Rasonque will not save Russ's life.

FABREGAS: It doubles the survival rate in patients with pancreatic cancer. This is not a cure, unfortunately, but it's a step in the right direction.

R. REED: Not only is it going to give a little bit more quantity, but it's quality as well.

M. REED: Yes. He promised me 50 years.

KAYE (voiceover): Rasonque is now approved by the FDA, but only available to patients with stage 4 pancreatic cancer that has spread.

FABREGAS: I would like to give this medicine to every single patient with pancreatic cancer. R. REED: I'll take every day that I can get. We've had very difficult

conversations about what's to come, and we know that day is going to come. We just don't know when.

I tell people jokingly that the Dolphins need to win the Super Bowl.

M. REED: Before he's able.

R. REED: That could be a while.

KAYE (voiceover): Randi Kaye, CNN, Port St. Lucie, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: A new op ed by a doctor and New York Times Opinion writer Rachel Beddard makes an argument both for and against the use of artificial intelligence in the medical field. She writes, quote, "AI is making me a better doctor" by expanding her years of experience with the use of an AI program only trained by approved medical sources. But she worries that new trainees won't develop critical thinking skills needed for the profession.

Joining me now is Dr. Omer Awan. He is a radiologist and a senior contributor for Forbes. Thank you, Doctor, for joining us.

DR. OMER AWAN, PHYSICIAN: Thanks for having me, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So a lot of questions are being asked right now about the risks posed by artificial intelligence, and that includes how it's impacting the field of medicine, of course. And as a doctor yourself, how are you, and of course, most other doctors using AI on a daily basis?

AWAN: Well, AI has really been transformative when we talk about medicine. It's really changed the scope of how we diagnose different diseases, how we're able to diagnose cancers more effectively, particularly with imaging. In my field in radiology, we use AI all the time when we're looking at mammograms, for example, to diagnose breast cancer, typically we can diagnose head bleeds on a CT. It's really transformed our ability to effectively make these diagnoses.

It can also decrease the administrative burden that a lot of physicians have with respect to paperwork, charting, documentation, and that can mitigate the risk of burnout. And burnout, as you know, Rosemary, is very real when we consider that 4 out of 10 physicians are experiencing burnout, and then also it's led to drug discovery.

So, you can see there's a wide range of applications that AI has had with medicine, and I believe it's been very positive. It's been a tool that physicians have used to better and enhance patient care.

CHURCH: And, doctor, what are some of the negatives associated with using AI in the medical field? And do you worry that in the future, younger doctors who are in training right now won't have the same medical knowledge that those who've come before them have because they rely too heavily, perhaps, on AI to answer some of these medical questions?

AWAN: I do have that worry, Rosemary, and I think that one of the definite negatives of AI is that it can hinder a young doctor's ability to think critically and analytically. If we take, for example, a patient that comes into the emergency room with shortness of breath and chest pain, there are a wide range of diagnostic possibilities for those symptoms. But if a young doctor is relying heavily on AI to summarize research, generate diagnoses, suggest treatment plans, and they may not be able to decipher the specific cause of that chest pain and shortness of breath and come to a specific diagnosis. And that, of course, can lead to misdiagnosis, mistreatment, and even harm to the patient.

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So this critical and analytical thinking, this ability to think clearly, is paramount for a doctor. And I believe that AI can hinder that ability, and that can really result in harm to a patient.

CHURCH: Yes, that is a valid concern, of course. And, doctor, do you think I will one day replace physicians, as some critics have suggested?

AWAN: I don't believe it will. I think that AI is really a supplemental tool that we can use to enhance our ability to treat patients more effectively. It's -- think of it as sort of a stethoscope, as cardiologists use a stethoscope, and a cardiologist uses that to enhance their ability to hear heart murmurs. Similarly, we use AI to enhance our ability to better treat patients. In radiology, we use AI to flag studies that can help us interpret images more effectively.

It can flag a head bleed, for example, on a CT scan. It can flag a mammographic study to alert us that there could be a breast cancer. So, it's sort of this tool that we use that can better allow us to be more effective and efficient physicians, so ultimately we can provide better care for patients.

CHURCH: And, doctor, I did want to ask you this. What was your response to the agreement made between the U.S. president and CEOs on Tuesday for them to police their own AI models? And do you think those AI companies also need external auditors in addition to that?

AWAN: Well, we have to have guardrails, Rosemary, when it comes to AI, particularly with respect to medicine, yes, there are clear benefits to AI, but there needs to be physician oversight, because there can be harm. There can be bias, for example, in AI algorithms.

AI algorithms, remember, are trained on data sets, and they're only as good as data sets. And if there's bias in those data sets, then our suggestions and our treatment plans will be biased as well. And that can result in real harm to patients. And that can widen health care disparities, which already are very stark when we consider white Americans, black, American, Hispanic, Americans health. And if we're not able to regulate it effectively, then there can definitely be harm as we go forward. But I believe that there's promise to AI and if we use it effectively,

if we use it responsibly, if physicians know how to use it, when to use it, are able to regulate it, and know when AI is wrong, the future can be very promising and bright for physicians and patients going forward.

CHURCH: Dr. Omer Awan, thanks so much for joining us here on CNN Newsroom and of course, sharing your perspective on this issue. Appreciate it.

AWAN: Thanks for having me, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Well, coming up, you will meet the Nepo baby who took the crown at Fat Bear Week and has bragging rights as one of Alaska's best, biggest bears. There he is.

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CHURCH: Welcome back everyone. Where we are getting a first look at giant panda 5-year-old Fu Shuang enjoying a snack and looking around her new home right here in Atlanta. She arrived at the zoo earlier this week with a six-year-old male, Ping Ping.

Zoo Atlanta says both pandas are eating well and adjusting more each day. And they're part of Beijing's long tradition of panda diplomacy.

Well, after a week of fierce competition, Alaska's Katmai National Park and Preserve has crossed crowned a winner of this year's Fat Bear Week. Bear 89 got more than 100,000 votes to take the title. The contest pits the heaviest bears against one another in a March Madness-style elimination bracket.

But he isn't just a chunky star. He's a furry Nepo baby known as Backpack because as a young cub, he rode around on the back of his mum, who won Fat Bear Week back in 2019.

I want to thank you so much for your company this hour. I'm Rosemary Church. The Story Is with Elex Michelson is next after a short break. Please stay with us.

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