Can AI chatbots provide accurate medical diagnoses?

AI chatbots like ChatGPT are not intended as a substitute for professional medical guidance and have been found to provide incorrect and alarming medical advice.

What are the risks associated with AI medical apps?

AI medical apps can pose risks by offering inaccurate information, misleading users into believing they are diagnostic tools, and potentially causing distress or delaying necessary medical visits.

Have AI medical apps been removed from app stores?

Yes, several AI-powered medical apps, such as 'Eureka Health' and 'AI Dermatologist,' have been removed from app stores due to user complaints about inaccuracies and misleading claims.

Home / Technology / AI's Health Scares: Bots Offer Dangerous Medical Misinformation

AI's Health Scares: Bots Offer Dangerous Medical Misinformation

10 Feb

•

Summary

AI chatbots have provided incorrect and alarming medical advice to patients.
Medical apps claiming AI capabilities are being removed from app stores.
Some AI apps promote themselves as diagnostic tools, risking patient safety.

AI's Health Scares: Bots Offer Dangerous Medical Misinformation

Artificial intelligence is presenting new challenges in healthcare, as patients increasingly turn to AI chatbots and medical apps for health advice. A physician in Turkey reported a case where an 18-year-old patient’s family was distressed by a false five-year survival prediction from ChatGPT. Later, the same patient experienced anxiety due to AI-generated fears of cancer metastasis, which proved unfounded.

This situation highlights concerns about AI's reliability in medicine. Numerous AI-powered mobile apps available on major app stores claim to assist patients but often include disclaimers stating they are not diagnostic tools. However, some developers have promoted their apps with potentially misleading claims, such as "Become your own doctor." Following scrutiny, apps like 'Eureka Health: AI Doctor' and 'AI Dermatologist: Skin Scanner' were removed from app stores due to inaccuracies and user complaints.