Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a valuable tool, but one should know how to use it effectively. Today, while going through the newspaper, I came across an article in which it was mentioned that people are using an AI tool to even get Medical Advice. The article quoted a few instances where people asked for medical advice and suffered badly. In one case, a middle-aged lady asked an AI tool that she is feeling a lump in her breast, which was not painful, and the advice she received was ‘if it is not painful, ignore it’. After a few months, the lady got worried as the lump started growing, and then she consulted a doctor and stage 2 cancer was detected. In another case, a middle-aged couple was coming back from a party at night, the wife, who was a little obese and suffering from diabetes, started feeling uneasy with a gastric problem. Her husband asked the AI tool about her symptoms, and the reply was to take an antacid pill. But within two hours of reaching home she was miserable, and she was taken to hospital, where two of her arteries had more than 95% of blockages, she collapsed while angioplasty was going on and died.
People should realize that AI cannot provide proper medical advice and should not be used as a substitute for a qualified healthcare professional. While AI tools show great promise in healthcare, they are meant to augment, not replace human doctors. Misinterpreting AI-generated information can lead to misdiagnosis, delayed treatment, and serious harm.
The Potential and Limitations of AI in Healthcare:
AI is already being used to improve and streamline many areas of healthcare, but it is not a replacement for human judgment.
What AI can do ?
- Assist with diagnosis– AI algorithms can analyse medical images like X-rays, CT scans, and mammograms to identify diseases such as cancer and pneumonia with high accuracy and speed. Some systems perform at or above the level of human experts for specific tasks.
- Aid in clinical decisions– AI-powered systems can provide real-time recommendations to healthcare professional by analyzing vast amounts of medical literature and patient data. This helps in creating personalized treatment plans and optimizing drug dosages.
- Manage health data– AI is used to manage electronic health records, automate administrative tasks like scheduling and billing, and extract relevant information from unstructured clinical notes.
- Predict risks– AI can analyse patient data to predict the risk conditions like acute kidney injury or chronic diseases, which enables earlier intervention and better management.
- Powerful virtual assistants– Chatbots and virtual health assistants can handle administrative tasks like booking appointments and provide patients with general, pre-approved health information.
Why AI Cannot Replace a Doctor?
- Prone to inaccuracies– AI models, including large language models like ChatGPT, can produce inaccurate or fabricated medical information. A recent study found that a high percentage of medical responses firm AI chatbots contained false information.
- Lack crucial context– A doctor considers many crucial factors that AI can miss, such as patient’s full medical history, non-verbal cues, emotional state, lifestyle, and environmental factors. AI systems cannot detect this nuanced information and may overlook critical details.
- Missing physical examination– AI has no ability to perform a physical exam, which is a cornerstone of accurate medical diagnosis. The ‘human touch’ of a doctor is irreplaceable for providing compassionate care.
- Bias in data– AI systems are trained on datasets, and if those datasets are not diverse, the AI can develop biases that lead to inaccurate or unfair medical outcomes for certain demographics.
- No accountability– If an AI provides incorrect advice that harms a patient, a clear legal framework for accountability does not yet exists.
The safest approach to using AI for health information
For your safety, follow these guidelines when seeking health related information:
- Always consult a human professional– For any medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment plan, rely on qualified human doctor or other healthcare provider.
- Use AI for informational purposes only– Think of AI tools as a preliminary search engine, not a final authority. You can use it to research general information, but never for a diagnosis or treatment plan for any specific condition.
- Be skeptical– When using AI for health information, be aware that its answers may contain fabricated or misleading information. Cross-reference with reliable, established medical sources.
- Report AI-suggested information to your doctor- If you use an AI Chabot for general research, share your results with your doctor so they can evaluate the information in the context of your personal health.
In the end, AI can indeed provide useful and often accurate medical advice, but it is not yet a substitute for professional healthcare. Its role lies in supporting doctors, empowering patients , and improving healthcare efficiency. The ultimate responsibility for treatment decisions must remain with trained medical professions. In essence, AI can be a powerful stethoscope for the digital age, but the doctor’s judgment remains the heartbeat of medical field.
Waiting for your views on this blog.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
10th September 2025