AI-powered apps and bots are barging into medicine. Doctors have questions
AI-powered apps and bots are barging into medicine. Doctors have questions
Publish Date: 2026-02-17 13:04:00
Source Domain: www.aol.com
Feb 9 (Reuters) – Artificial intelligence is shaking up industries from software and law to entertainment and education. And as physicians like Dr. Cem Aksoy are learning, it’s posing special challenges in medicine as patients tap AI for advice.
Aksoy, a medical resident at a hospital in Ankara, Turkey, says an 18-year-old patient and his family recently panicked after the young man was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor on his left leg. They turned to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The bot said he might survive only five years.
It was wrong: A plastic surgeon successfully removed the tumor in July. “He was essentially cured after the operation,” Aksoy said.
But a few weeks later, the patient called Aksoy on the verge of tears. “He said, ‘I started coughing recently, and ChatGPT told me it could possibly be metastasis to my lungs,’” meaning the cancer had spread, the doctor recalled. The patient said he needed to write a will. It turned out his lungs were fine. He was coughing because he’d recently started smoking.
“When someone is distressed and unguided,” Aksoy said, an AI chatbot “just drags them into this forest of knowledge without coherent context.”
A spokesperson for OpenAI said its newest models have significantly improved how they handle health questions. ChatGPT isn’t intended as a substitute for a medical professional’s guidance, the company said.
The young Turkish patient’s encounter with AI-dispensed medical wisdom comes as many patients around the world are turning to the technology for advice. In addition to the big ask-me-anything chatbots, consumers are turning to a slew of new, AI-powered consumer medical apps.
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