ChatGPT is the most-used AI assistant , which makes it inevitable for many to ask dozens of questions and quickly get them answered without scouring the internet. Speaking of which, OpenAI says that ChatGPT users are quite keen on health-related questions. In a recently published report titled “AI as a Healthcare Ally,” OpenAI revealed that nearly 40 million people are using ChatGPT every day for health-related questions. The figure suggests just how deeply AI is integrating into everyday life.
40 million users ask ChatGPT health-related questions, OpenAI reveals
Per the report, users regularly ask ChatGPT about symptoms, medications, treatment options, and navigating overwhelmed health systems. The numbers revealed in the report are quite striking. Apparently, over 5 percent of all ChatGPT prompts involve health-related topics . That’s not all; around 200 million out of 800 million weekly ChatGPT users ask at least one health-related question.
Notably, the report is based on a recent survey with 1,042 adult participants from the US. Per the report, 55 percent of surveyed participants used ChatGPT to check or explore health symptoms . Meanwhile, 52 percent admitted that they ask the AI assistant a health-related query at any time. That’s not all; nearly 48 percent of surveyed participants used ChatGPT to understand medical terms or instructions
Although it’s not ideal to take the word of a chatbot to treat a health condition, the report suggests otherwise. At least 44 percent of the participants admitted that they prompt ChatGPT to seek treatment options. Putting it simply, the report suggests that more and more people are turning toward AI assistants when the traditional healthcare system isn’t immediately available.
Image credit: OpenAI
ChatGPT can help evaluate health conditions, but it doesn’t replace doctors
OpenAI still maintains that ChatGPT can be handy for evaluating health conditions, while stressing that AI doesn’t replace doctors. The company even shared an example of Ayrin Santoso from San Francisco. As mentioned in the report, Santoso used ChatGPT to evaluate her mother’s sudden vision loss in Indonesia.
After entering symptoms and medical history, ChatGPT responded with a warning and suggested a hypertensive crisis and possible stroke. As a result, Santoso admitted her mother to the hospital, who has since recovered 95 percent of her vision in the affected eye.
