AI and health: what AI can and cannot do for you
A consumer AI can explain a medical term or prepare questions for a consultation. It does not provide a reliable diagnosis and never replaces a healthcare professional. AI-based medical devices exist but fall under a strict regulatory framework, distinct from general-purpose chatbots.
A consumer AI can explain a medical term, help you prepare questions for a consultation, or clarify a leaflet. It does not provide reliable diagnoses and never replaces a healthcare professional. AI-based medical devices do exist, but they fall under a strict regulatory framework, distinct from the general-purpose conversational assistants you use daily. Confusing the two is dangerous.
What a general-purpose AI can do
Help you understand. Explain a complicated word, the general mechanism of a disease, the meaning of a test. This can make you more active in your healthcare journey.
Help you prepare for a consultation. Formulate your symptoms, list questions to ask, make sure you do not forget anything. A patient who prepares for a consultation gets more out of it.
Help you decipher a leaflet or a medical report, keeping in mind that interpretation remains with the professional.
What a general-purpose AI must not do
Make a diagnosis. A conversational assistant has neither your medical file, nor an examination, nor medical responsibility. It can make serious errors and falsely reassure you.
Recommend a treatment or dosage. Any therapeutic decision belongs to a professional. Following a dosage recommendation from an AI can be dangerous.
Replace emergency services. Faced with a serious symptom, contact emergency services, not an AI.
Medical devices are a different world
Validated AI systems genuinely assist professionals, in imaging for example. These are medical devices subject to a strict European regulatory framework, evaluated and supervised. They have nothing in common with a consumer chatbot, which has none of these guarantees.
This article deals with health, a topic where errors can be serious. If in doubt about a medical matter, consult a healthcare professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I describe my symptoms to an AI?
To prepare for a consultation, yes, without treating it as a diagnosis and without sharing data you would not want disclosed.
Can AI reassure me about a symptom?
Not reliably. It can falsely reassure. A worrying symptom requires a professional.
Are AI-based health apps safe?
Those that are medical devices are regulated. Many consumer apps are not. Check the status.
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