{"id":7730,"date":"2026-04-30T22:55:36","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T13:25:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/?p=7730"},"modified":"2026-05-01T08:32:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T23:02:07","slug":"health-slop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2026\/04\/health-slop\/","title":{"rendered":"Is it Safe to Ask AI for Health Advice?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

People are increasingly relying on “AI” sources for health information, but is it safe to do so? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Worldwide, one in four queries to ChatGPT are health related, while almost one in ten Australians reported that they had asked ChatGPT about their health1<\/sup><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, independent studies consistently show that large language model (LLM) tools – commonly referred to as “AI” \u2013 give unsafe health advice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One study found that ChatGPT Health<\/strong> failed to recommend emergency care when it was needed in over 50 per cent of cases<\/strong>. At the same time, it suggested emergency care to 64 per cent of people who had a non-urgent problem2<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, Google removed several AI Overviews on health topics after a Guardian investigation<\/a> found the advice about blood tests results was dangerous and misleading<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Image uses headlines from The Guardian Australia<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, the BBC reports that a study by researchers at the University of Oxford<\/a>, published in Nature Medicine<\/a> 3<\/a><\/sup> found seeking medical advice from AI chatbots to be “dangerous” due to their “tendency to provide inaccurate and inconsistent information”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

… chatbots were giving wrong diagnoses and failing to recognise when urgent help was needed.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

According to the BBC report, study co-author Dr Rebecca Payne, who is also a GP, said “despite all the hype, AI just isn’t ready to take on the role of the physician.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Patients need to be aware that asking a large language model about their symptoms can be dangerous,” she said, pointing out that the chatbots were giving wrong diagnoses and failing to recognise when urgent help was needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clearly, AI tools don’t merit the level of trust that people are placing in them.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Image uses headlines from The Conversation<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Sydney Health Literacy Lab has developed an education resource for using AI more safely<\/a>. It suggests only asking AI questions when there is a straightforward factual answer with credible information readily available, preferably while also checking other sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They point out that ChatGPT will:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n