Chatbots and artificial intelligence are an increasingly common source of health knowledge. Scientists have tested whether this is really a good way to gain knowledge about cancer.
A study on chatbots and artificial intelligence (AI) has been published in Magazine Cancer Spectrum National Cancer Institute. Researchers at the University of Utah found that these resources provide accurate information about common myths and misconceptions about cancer. However, according to the researchers, drawing knowledge from such sources is also associated with certain risks.
ChatGPT under the microscope of oncologists
One of the study’s authors, Skyler Johnson, a physician and researcher, assessed the reliability and accuracy of the cancer information provided by ChatGPT. Johnson and her team found that 97 percent of the answers were correct. However, this discovery comes with several important caveats, including the team’s concern that some ChatGPT responses could be misinterpreted. “This can lead to bad decisions for cancer patients,” Johnson said. Therefore, scientists propose to be careful in obtaining knowledge from such sources, especially if they are actually used by cancer patients.
During the study, reviewers did not know if the answers to their questions came from a chatbot or from experts at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). While the answers were accurate, the reviewers found that the ChatGPT language was unclear in some cases.
Misinformation harms cancer patients
“I recognize and understand how difficult it is for cancer patients and their caregivers to access accurate information,” Johnson stressed, adding that new sources of knowledge need to be further explored to help patients navigate the online information environment.
Wrong information can harm cancer patients - it’s a fact. Johnson’s team has confirmed this in previous studies. Misinformation is prevalent on social media and can harm cancer patients, who may not always be able to verify the accuracy of such information, the researchers said.
Source: Wprost
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