Artificial intelligence is everywhere. Many people now turn to AI tools for answers about their health, often before speaking to a medical professional. But how reliable is that information?
Recently, I asked an AI system a simple medical question: Can someone safely receive a vaccine if they have a fever? The system gave two different answers. One was correct, the other was not.
Here’s the important question: How would you know which answer is right?
Unless you have extensive medical knowledge and years of training, it is very difficult to judge the accuracy of complex health information. AI can sound confident and persuasive. So even when information appears clear and convincing, it may still be incomplete, inaccurate, or not suited to an individual’s situation. This can be risky when it comes to your health.
So, what should you do?
The safest and most reliable approach is the same one people have trusted for generations! Speak to your local GP. Medicine has advanced significantly over the years, and doctors undergo extensive training each year to diagnose, guide and care for patients. They are also bound by a duty of care to act in your best interests.
Of course, doctors are human. Sometimes advice may be outdated, miscommunicated or occasionally incorrect. However, in most cases, a doctor’s recommendation will be far more reliable than generalised AI information about your specific health concern.
There are important reasons for this.
A doctor can ask detailed questions about your symptoms and medical history. A doctor can perform a physical examination, which is often essential for accurate diagnosis. Most importantly, a doctor understands how the human body works, including how symptoms can be misleading or misinterpreted.
Take fatigue as an example. Many people assume tiredness is due to stress, poor sleep or a busy lifestyle. However, fatigue can also be caused by iron deficiency, sleep apnea, thyroid problems and many other conditions. Without medical knowledge and testing, it is often impossible to know the true cause. Doctors are trained to recognise these patterns including symptoms you may not even notice yourself.
Artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly and is becoming a useful tool in many areas of healthcare. However, it is still a machine and remains limited. It cannot fully understand the complexity of human health, and it can sometimes provide incorrect or misleading information. For this reason, AI should be used cautiously, particularly when making decisions about your wellbeing.
It is also important to remember that misinformation online is widespread. Advice from social media, influencers, public figures including politicians and non-experts are not always reliable. Health decisions should be based on trusted, evidence-based medical guidance.
If there is one message to take away, it is this: do not believe everything you read on the internet.
While technology continues to evolve, the value of a knowledgeable and experienced GP remains irreplaceable. Healthcare is personal, and good medical care involves listening, understanding and guiding patients through complex decisions.
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