{"id":15827,"date":"2026-04-20T13:22:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T13:22:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/the-dailytourist.com\/?p=15827"},"modified":"2026-04-20T13:22:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T13:22:29","slug":"should-you-trust-health-advice-from-ai-chatbots-experts-warn-of-risks-amid-rising-use","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/the-dailytourist.com\/?p=15827","title":{"rendered":"Should You Trust Health Advice From AI Chatbots? Experts Warn of Risks Amid Rising Use"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Manchester \u2013 As artificial intelligence tools become increasingly embedded in daily life, more people are turning to chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini and Grok for health advice. But experts are warning that while these tools can be helpful, they can also be dangerously unreliable.<\/p>\n

For the past year, Abi, a Manchester resident, has been using ChatGPT to help manage her health, particularly during moments of anxiety. She says the chatbot often provides more tailored responses than a standard internet search, which can lead to worst-case scenarios.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt allows a kind of problem solving together,\u201d she said. \u201cA little bit like chatting with your doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n

In one instance, when she suspected a urinary tract infection, the chatbot advised her to visit a pharmacist\u2014leading to appropriate treatment. However, another experience was far more alarming. After falling while hiking and experiencing severe back pain, ChatGPT warned her she may have punctured an internal organ and needed emergency care.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went to A&E and sat there for three hours,\u201d Abi said. \u201cThe pain started easing and I realised I wasn\u2019t critically ill. The AI had clearly got it wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Health professionals are increasingly concerned about the growing reliance on AI for medical guidance.<\/p>\n

Professor Sir Chris Whitty, England\u2019s Chief Medical Officer, has warned that while people are using chatbots more frequently, their answers are often \u201cnot good enough\u201d and can be \u201cboth confident and wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Researchers at the University of Oxford tested several AI systems by providing them with realistic medical scenarios. When given complete information, chatbots performed well\u2014achieving up to 95% accuracy.<\/p>\n

However, when 1,300 human participants interacted with the same systems, accuracy dropped sharply to around 35%. Researchers say this is because users often provide incomplete or unclear information, leading to incorrect conclusions.<\/p>\n

One test scenario involved symptoms of a brain haemorrhage, a life-threatening condition requiring urgent treatment. In some cases, chatbot responses failed to recognise the seriousness of the condition, instead suggesting rest.<\/p>\n

Experts say a major issue is the way AI systems communicate.<\/p>\n

Dr Nicholas Tiller, a lead researcher in AI health studies, said chatbots are designed to respond in a confident and authoritative tone, which can mislead users.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey give very confident responses, and that creates a sense of credibility,\u201d he said. \u201cSo users assume it must be correct.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another study testing systems including ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok and Meta AI found that more than half of responses on topics such as cancer, vaccines, nutrition and alternative medicine were problematic or misleading. In one case, a chatbot suggested naturopathy as a valid cancer treatment, despite lack of scientific evidence.<\/p>\n

Dr Margaret McCartney, a GP in Glasgow, said chatbots can feel more personal than traditional searches, which may affect how users interpret the advice.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels like you\u2019re having a supportive conversation made \u2018for you\u2019,\u201d she said. \u201cThat changes how people trust the information.\u201d<\/p>\n

Researchers also noted that when users searched traditional medical queries, they were more likely to land on official sources such as the NHS website and receive more reliable guidance.<\/p>\n

While AI companies argue that models are improving rapidly, experts say a fundamental limitation remains: chatbots are designed to predict language, not diagnose medical conditions.<\/p>\n

Dr Tiller warned that users should not rely on AI for medical decisions unless they have the expertise to verify the information.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf someone on the street gave you a very confident answer, would you just believe them?\u201d he said. \u201cYou would at least check.\u201d<\/p>\n

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, said the system is being improved with help from clinicians and is intended only for informational and educational use\u2014not to replace professional medical advice.<\/p>\n

Abi, who continues to use AI tools, says users should remain cautious.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t trust that anything it says is absolutely right,\u201d she said. \u201cYou have to take everything with a pinch of salt and remember it can get things wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Manchester \u2013 As artificial intelligence tools become increasingly embedded in daily life, more people are turning to chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini and Grok for health advice. But experts are warning that while these tools can be helpful, they can also be dangerously unreliable. For the past year, Abi, a Manchester resident, has been using ChatGPT […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15830,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[75],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-15827","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\nShould You Trust Health Advice From AI Chatbots? 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