Associated Incidents
Hyderabad: Doctors in Hyderabad have cautioned people against relying solely on artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT for medical advice. They emphasised that patients, especially those with chronic or serious health conditions, must always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to medication, diet, or treatment plans. The warning comes after at least two alarming incidents were recently reported in the city.
In the first case, a 30-year-old woman who had undergone a kidney transplant under the Jeevandan programme at the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) lost her transplanted kidney after discontinuing her prescribed antibiotics based on ChatGPT's suggestion. "The woman, who had been on dialysis for seven years before the transplant, reportedly stopped all her medication after ChatGPT told her that since her creatinine levels were normal, she no longer needed the drugs," said Dr Sree Bhushan Raju, senior nephrologist, NIMS.
Within weeks, her condition deteriorated, and her creatinine levels spiked again. She eventually required surgery and had to be put back on dialysis before being discharged recently. "We are seeing a worrying trend where even educated patients are relying on AI-generated advice instead of consulting doctors," said Dr Mohd Taif, another senior nephrologist.
Doctors said similar patterns are being noticed among the elderly as well, with many seeking advice on medicines or dosage changes from ChatGPT despite being advised otherwise by their doctors.
"This over-reliance on AI is becoming a dangerous habit," said Dr Taif.
In another incident, a 62-year-old diabetic man from the city suffered sudden weight loss and dangerously low sodium levels after following a diet plan suggested by ChatGPT. The AI tool had advised him to completely reduce salt intake, which proved harmful given his pre-existing condition. "These incidents show that while AI can provide general information, it lacks the clinical judgment and contextual understanding that a trained doctor brings," said Dr K Rakesh, a senior govt nephrologist.
In Aug this year, a 60-year-old man from New York was reportedly hospitalised after following a ChatGPT-generated diet plan that advised him to replace all table salt (sodium chloride) with sodium bromide, a toxic substance. Health experts reiterated that ChatGPT and similar tools can be useful for broad health awareness but should never be treated as substitutes for professional medical consultation. "People are starting to believe that ChatGPT is superior to doctors, but no AI can match the intellect, intuition, and experience of a medical professional," said Dr Raju.