Categories: Techno

Little useful reminder, ChatGPT is a lamentable doctor

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Imagine for a moment. You've had a stomach ache for days. Don't feel like going to the doctor ? What if you asked ChatGPT what you're having ? Bad idea. A study published in the journal Plos One has just highlighted the blatant incompetence of AI when it comes to medical diagnosis.

ChatGPT fails the diagnostic test pretty badly

The researchers submitted 150 medical cases to ChatGPT (version 3.5). The result ? A resounding failure. The AI only managed to make the correct diagnosis 49% of the time. In other words, you would have almost as much chance of getting it right by flipping a coin.

That's not all. When asked to explain its reasoning, ChatGPT does not do much better. Its answers are only judged to be “complete and relevant” in 52% of the time. We are far, very far from the performance of a human doctor.

The dangers of blind trust in medical AI

These results raise serious questions. While giants like Google are already experimenting with the use of chatbots in hospitals, isn't it premature to entrust our health to artificial intelligences?

Dr Amrit Kirpalani, co-author of the study, is concerned: “If people are scared, confused, or simply unable to access care, they might rely on a tool that appears to provide advice custom medical for them”. An alarming prospect when we know that ChatGPT is wrong one time out of two.

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AI is not totally useless in medicine. It has shown itself to be rather good at eliminating bad diagnoses. But between knowing what is wrong and precisely identifying the problem, there is a gulf that ChatGPT does not yet know how to cross.

Researchers point in particular to the inability of AI to correctly interpret numerical values and medical images. Not to mention its unfortunate tendency to invent information or ignore crucial data.

Towards a reasoned use of AI in medicine

Should we therefore throw the baby out with the bathwater ?Researchers see potential in using AI as a teaching tool for medical students. It could also assist physicians in some tasks, provided that the final decision remains in human hands.

Dr. Kirpalani remains optimistic: “I believe that with AI and chatbots in particular, the medical community will eventually discover enormous potential to improve clinical decision-making, streamline administrative tasks, and improve patient engagement”.

The future of medicine will likely be a clever mix of artificial intelligence and human expertise. But in the meantime, if you have a health problem, rely on a good old real-life doctor, if you can get an appointment, of course.

ChatGPT fails to correctly diagnose 51% of medical cases submitted to it
AI has significant shortcomings in interpreting digital data and medical images
Despite its current limitations, AI could have a role to play in medical training and assisting practitioners

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Teilor Stone

Teilor Stone has been a reporter on the news desk since 2013. Before that she wrote about young adolescence and family dynamics for Styles and was the legal affairs correspondent for the Metro desk. Before joining Thesaxon , Teilor Stone worked as a staff writer at the Village Voice and a freelancer for Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Mirabella. To get in touch, contact me through my teilor@nizhtimes.com 1-800-268-7116