6 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Trust ChatGPT for Medical Advice

Do you consider Chat GPT as a substitute for your doctor? Well, we asked Chat GPT about it, and here’s the response.

Funny, right? While Chat GPT denies its use for healthcare advice, the dependency of the population on it has been continuously increasing.

Everybody wants to be his or her own doctor or at least try to cure themselves once. Ever been scolded by your doctor because you tried some home remedy?

For a doctor, it is easy to treat a disease but when you waste time trying home remedies the health issues intensify. Sometimes bacterias mutate as a result of home remedies. However, for AI this scenario might be different!

In this article, we talk about 6 reasons why you should not trust ChatGPT to be your doctor. So, without further ado, let’s get started! 

6 Reasons Why Chat GPT Health Advice Are a Threat

Chat GPT was considered a breakthrough in AI until people noticed some shortcomings. The use of AI in the healthcare sector has to be first verified by specialists as the impact of a wrong algorithm can be disastrous.

1. “I’m not a Doctor”- Chat GPT

Chat GPT has to be appreciated for being aware of its shortcomings. Every time you ask for any medical advice, it starts with an “I’m not a Doctor” phrase. 

The Do-Everything-Yourself syndrome urges people to use tools like Chat GPT.

It is known to produce irrelevant and incorrect responses. Some things cannot be tolerated in the healthcare sector and these two are among those. The responses are not accurate though they sound authentic. The capability of AI in making odd things sound authentic and convincing.

Another setback with Chat GPT in the healthcare sector is the experience. Responses based on the relatively old database cannot be compared with a seasoned medical practitioner. This is a domain where we cannot take a chance unless we are certain about the accuracy of the tool.

2. Chat GPT cannot Examine Your Physical Condition

During the times of the COVID-19 pandemic, an essential part of the Healthcare sector was The Human Touch. An AI tool cannot physically examine the patient. This poses a difficulty and the user has to be spot on with the prompt.

Though it is easy to use AI tools, not everyone knows about the medical terminology used for symptoms and conditions. The use of generic terms could be a solution but in some cases, it changes the meaning and the response of Chat GPT will address the wrong issue. This might intensify the health issue.

Another common response from Chat GPT is “Consult a healthcare professional professional”, well that’s what you should be doing in the first place. Instead of trying all the different generalized ideas of Chat GPT on yourself.

3. Fake Information Supported by Self-generated Articles

It is free to some extent which attracted a high user base within a short period. The public started using this tool in every place they could which created a dependency on the tool. AI tools are made in a way that they have to answer a question asked.

One of the professors of Medicine was amazed by the accuracy of Chat GPT which was 88% but emphasized the fact that it makes fake journal articles or health consortiums to support its claims. A similar claim was made by Chris Moran, Head of Editorial Innovation, at The Guardian. He claimed that a mail was received regarding some article in the Guardian. But while backtracking they couldn’t find any trace of it.

Chat GPT doesn’t know it all. Another proof of Chat GPT making false claims can be seen here, it recommended honey with ghee for soothing a sore throat. According to sources, if we mix honey and ghee, a substance called Clostridium Botulinum spreads rapidly into the body which can cause severe health issues and even cancer.

4. Responses Based on Old Data

AI tools respond based on the database stored at the backend. It is necessary to keep the database updated in real time. Whereas the database Chat GPT used dates back to September 2021. So yes, the responses were shockingly amazing but they were all based on a 2-year-old database.

While this might not concern users from other domains but when it comes to the health sector you cannot neglect this fact. The startup trend is on the boom and there are over 3600 startups in the Healthcare sector, coming up with numerous innovations. The database is unaware of all that data.

Open AI has been pushing updates around the tool to enhance its accuracy. But the database used by the updated GPT-4 still dates back to September 2021. It can be concluded that GPT is meant to be used in sectors where the health and life of humans are not at stake.

5. Very Specific Input

The output of AI tools highly depends upon the input. The user has to be very alert, acting upon the result of wrong input can cause negative effects. It can be said that people from medical professionals can use Chat GPT effectively for medical advice, which is redundant.

A common user faces difficulty in finding the exact words to express the issue and, probably, they might not even know the correct terminology in medical terms. When someone tries to simplify medical terminology it might confuse Chat GPT and give a response to the misunderstood prompt.

The complex terminology is a result of a complex subject. It should be dealt with by a professional and not by some AI tool with that level of sophistication.

6. No Responsibility

A major concern of AI in the healthcare sector is liability. While using such tools, you can’t hold anyone responsible if something goes wrong. You cannot track down the source of the information in response.

There is a risk with such tools, due to their incredible capabilities the users might blindly trust the tool. Chat GPT shall be used to assist rather than doing the actual task and all the work need to be checked. If the response has an element that is not true, can impact a person`s health. Therefore using such a tool we shall proceed with caution. 

Parting Words

In summary, ChatGPT, despite its impressive capabilities, cannot serve as a substitute for a human doctor. Six key reasons were discussed, including limitations in diagnosing complex conditions, the lack of physical examinations, the potential for misinterpretation, the absence of emotional connection, personalized care, and the importance of professional medical training. While AI has its place in healthcare, the expertise and compassion of human doctors remain invaluable for optimal healthcare provision.

That’s all from GFG for this time!