Artificial Intelligence and Medical Advice: Between Benefits and Potential Risks

Reliance on artificial intelligence for health consultations has become common among millions of users worldwide, but health experts warn against turning these robots into a primary source of medical advice, emphasizing the importance of understanding the limits of their capabilities and the associated risks.

Reports indicate that over 40 million people daily use AI models like ChatGPT to understand symptoms, recognize medical terms, and explore treatment options. This tool provides quick and simplified answers, but it is not based on individual users' medical records, which may lead to general or inaccurate recommendations.

The main risks include:
Inaccuracy of recommendations: Robots lack the ability to evaluate the complete health condition or know the full medical history of the patient.
Failure to detect emergency situations: Independent studies have shown that models like ChatGPT Health may not prompt users to go to emergency rooms in more than half of critical scenarios.
Conflicting recommendations: Some health advice may be misleading or scientifically unproven, increasing the risk of making wrong health decisions.

Experts believe that AI is useful as a general information source, helping users understand health topics and formulate better questions for their doctors.
However, relying on it alone may be unsafe, especially in cases requiring accurate diagnosis or urgent treatment.
Recent research has shown that users' health decisions after consulting AI are not much better than those accessible through traditional online searches, highlighting the importance of relying on trusted medical sources.

While AI represents an advanced step in accessing information, doctors warn against considering it a substitute for professional diagnosis and direct treatment. The recommendations it provides can be useful as a preliminary review, but they do not replace human medical care, especially in sensitive cases.