As the field of medicine continues to evolve, so does how patients and healthcare professionals access and interact with medical information. One of the most recent innovations in this field is using artificial intelligence (AI) to provide medical advice and support. One such AI is ChatGPT, a language model trained by OpenAI that has already made waves in other areas, such as language translation and conversation.
Now, ChatGPT is poised to upend the world of medical information by offering patients and healthcare professionals a new way to access and analyze medical data. However, with this innovation comes benefits and potential pitfalls, and it is important to consider both sides of this development.
Realizing the potential of how Dr. Google could improve patient involvement, there was a time before it became available for people to use for medical advice. Much of the content available came with incorrect information or had alarmingly frightening qualities, empowering individuals to educate themselves on their symptoms and health like never before.
ChatGPT and other language-processing tools are set to drastically transform medical care by offering patients more information than a basic online search. These tools also paraphrase medical conditions and explanations regarding treatments– making them understandable for those without prior medical knowledge.
For clinicians, these chatbots can serve as a helpful brainstorming aid and a safeguard against potential blunders. Given the responsibility of filing paperwork, utilizing them efficiently can free up more time they would instead spend interacting with their patients, helping to counter issues of burnout.
The downside of digital assistants is the potential to provide out-of-date or inaccurate information, which could be less reliable than traditional online searches. Although it provides convenience and enables speed, this possible disadvantage must be considered when using any digital assistant.
According to University of Washington linguistics professor Emily Bender, technologies for large-scale analysis of language are unsuitable sources for medical information due to the design of such technologies.
Professor Emily Bender says:
“I see no potential for it in medicine.”
Others argue that large language models could supplement primary care rather than replace it. Using such language models could be a beneficial addition to providing comprehensive healthcare.
Hugging Face, a firm creating collective machine learning solutions, employs a Machine Learning Engineer.
Katie Link says:
“A human in the loop is still very much needed.”
Chatbots may be useful in health care and biomedicine someday, whereas, according to Link, the technology isn’t yet there. However, we anticipate it to be a great asset in the future.
ChatGPT has the potential to revolutionize how patients and healthcare professionals access and interact with medical information. With its ability to quickly analyze vast amounts of data and provide tailored advice, ChatGPT could improve patient outcomes and support healthcare professionals’ decision-making.
However, this technology also raises concerns about the accuracy and reliability of medical information and the potential for AI to replace human expertise and decision-making. It will be important for the healthcare industry to carefully consider these potential benefits and pitfalls as they integrate ChatGPT and other AI technologies into their practices.
Source: USAToday
