Over 230 Million People Weekly Use ChatGPT for Health Advice

Artificial intelligence usage such as ChatGPT for seeking health advice is increasing significantly. OpenAI has recorded more than 230 million people every week using ChatGPT to ask about various medical issues, ranging from ensuring food safety, managing allergies, to finding ways to relieve flu symptoms.

However, a recent study published in the journal Nature warns that using AI for medical consultation carries risks of harming health. The research found that ChatGPT Health is not always able to recognise situations requiring emergency treatment.

“From our research, ChatGPT Health does perform well in classical emergency situations such as stroke or severe allergic reactions. But the system cannot recognise medical conditions with hidden dangers,” said lead researcher from Mount Sinai New York, Ashwin Ramaswamy.

In one trial concerning asthma, researchers noted that the system was actually able to identify early signs of respiratory failure in its explanations. However, ChatGPT Health still advised users to wait, rather than immediately seeking emergency medical help.

The research team created 60 structured clinical scenarios across 21 medical specialisations with cases ranging from mild conditions suitable for home care to actual medical emergencies. Three independent doctors then determined the appropriate level of urgency for each case using guidelines from 56 medical organisations.