'Doctor ChatGPT' needs human back-up, US researchers warn

Experts believe more and more people without easy and affordable access to health care will resort to AI chatbots like ChatGPT in future. — Photo: Frank Rumpenhorst/dpa

SAN FRANCISCO: Even before the Covid pandemic, consulting "Doctor Google" was becoming an increasingly common prelude to a visit to a GP.

Then during the pandemic, a British survey suggested that upwards of 60% of people were putting their symptoms into the search engine before or even instead of getting the opinion of a professional.

The trend could be accelerated by the recent rise of so-called generative artificial intelligence, which could see the likes of ChatGPT supplement or even replace Google, according to UC San Diego researchers.

“Many of the people who will turn to AI assistants, like ChatGPT, are doing so because they have no one else to turn to,” said Mike Hogarth, a doctor and professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine, who along with university colleagues put the bot through its paces and found it wanting.

While they found it gave “evidence-based responses to 91% of all questions”, mirroring the support expected from an expert, only 22% of answers “made referrals to specific resources to help the questioner, a key component of ensuring information seekers get the necessary help.” Flustered chatbots should offer a would-be patient the option of connecting to a human, the UC San Diego team said.

“The leaders of these emerging technologies must step up to the plate and ensure that users have the potential to connect with a human expert through an appropriate referral,” Hogarth added.

The UC San Diego study was published by the American Medical Association’s JAMA Open Network on June 7, a week after the US National Eating Disorder Association reportedly disabled its “Tessa” chatbot, after claims it had been offering harmful advice. – dpa