When AI prescribes

The case of a man in the United States being hospitalised with life-threatening bromide poisoning after following dietary advice from ChatGPT is both funny and sad. Funny, because people are now switching from Google to AI to get their health advice. And sad, just like taking medical advice from Google led to avoidable health complications, so does it from the AI, as the US man learnt to his detriment. It is possibly the first recorded instance of “AI-linked” poisoning, a reminder that while artificial intelligence is transforming how we access health information, it remains an imperfect guide.

It is true that we live in an age where answers to our ailments are just a few keystrokes away. And it is but normal for anyone facing any health issue to look up online for information. But the problem starts when people ask the AI for medical advice and then follow it. As things stand, AI chatbots like ChatGPT have replaced websites, offering rapid, personalised responses to health queries. They explain medical terms, and even suggest medicines and lifestyle adjustments. And to the extent of gaining more information, this is helpful as some studies also indicate. It has been found to be useful to the people with low health literacy or limited access to healthcare. In this sense, AI has democratised medical knowledge.

But the bromide poisoning case underlines the risks of treating AI as a doctor. Here the ChatGPT allegedly suggested bromide as a safe alternative to table salt. Without warning labels, context, or the ability to read a patient’s full history, AI can offer advice that is not only unhelpful but actively harmful.

That is why AI should be treated as a tool, not a doctor. The value of AI is to learn more about the disease but it is still far from suggesting a treatment, which only a human doctor can. So, there is no issue in using AI to understand symptoms, read about conditions, and explore treatment options. But only a qualified healthcare professional who looks at your tests and assesses your symptoms can make a right diagnosis and prescribe the cure.