Study: Medical Chatbots Not Ready Yet For Patient Care

[riversedge]

Source: crooksandliars.com




AI is a classic example of GIGO -- garbage in, garbage out. After all, it's just a machine that scrapes the available data.

By Susie Madrak — February 10, 2026

A new study published yesterday provided a sobering look at whether A.I. chatbots are actually good at providing medical advice to the general public.




By Susie Madrak — February 10, 2026

A new study published yesterday provided a sobering look at whether A.I. chatbots are actually good at providing medical advice to the general public.

Researchers found that the chatbots were no better than Google at guiding users toward the correct diagnoses or helping them figure out what to do next. The technology also posed unique risks, sometimes presenting false information or dramatically changing its advice depending on slight changes in the wording of the questions.

None of the models evaluated were “ready for deployment in direct patient care,” the researchers concluded in the first randomized study of its kind.

..................But AI is a classic example of GIGO -- garbage in, garbage out. After all, it's just a machine that scrapes the available data. Ask the wrong question, get the wrong answer.



Read more: https://crooksandliars.com/2026/02/study-medical-chatbots-not-ready-yet?utm_source=social&utm_medium=twitter&utm_content=112202

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AI is a classic example of GIGO -- garbage in, garbage out. After all, it's just a machine that scrapes the available data

crooksandliars.com/2026/02/stud...

— (@oceancalm.bsky.social) 2026-02-10T13:19:10.044Z

[FalloutShelter]

1. The rapid, reckless rollout of AI

Seems to be a mistake almost everywhere.
Who is listening? Certainly not money.
Ready or not here it comes.

Me: “ AI Doc… I need treatment for …”
AI Doc: “ Sorry Dave, I can’t do that.”
Me: “Who’s Dave?”

[purr-rat beauty]

2. Can we chill on the AI

It feels so force fed at this time. I'm guessing I hardly have an idea of it's capabilities but have observed some interesting and weird shit and am not sure I want that directing surgery on my body

[Multichromatic]

5. No... we can't chill on the AI

After all, Republicans and corporate America has billions of dollars to make. Who care if tens of thousands of Americans die or get injured by medical AI.

[Easterncedar]

3. This worries me

I have a friend who has an adult child with a very complicated medical history, and she is relying heavily on ChatGPT for answers. Admittedly, the doctors have given them bad prescriptions and poorly informed advice, but my friend doesn't question what the chat tells her. She is smart and a good researcher in general, but she has been overwhelmed by her child's suffering and won't listen to any doubts I dare to express about the reliability of this technology. The chat never says "I don't know." She can't see how she frames her questions may determine the answers. And she always gets an answer.

[SunSeeker]

4. I have yet to use a Chatbot that is effective at anything but raising my blood pressure.

They are worse than useless--in any context. Being forced to use them in a medical context is horrifying.

[cbabe]

6. Gates foundation marketing/importing medical AI to Africa

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=3614001

10. Gates Foundation, OpenAI launch $50M AI health initiative targeting 1,000 clinics in Africa
Yesterday
https://www.geekwire.com/2026/gates-foundation-openai-launch-50m-ai-health-initiative-targeting-1000-clinics-in-africa/

Gates Foundation, OpenAI launch $50M AI health initiative targeting 1,000 clinics in Africa

TAYLOR SOPER on Jan 20, 2026 at 11:05 pm

The Gates Foundation and OpenAI are launching a new partnership aimed at bringing artificial intelligence into frontline health care systems across Africa, starting with Rwanda.

The initiative, called Horizon1000, will deploy AI-powered tools to support primary health care workers in patient intake, triage, follow-up, referrals, and access to trusted medical information in local languages. The organizations said the effort is designed to augment — not replace — health workers, particularly in regions facing severe workforce shortages.

The Gates Foundation and OpenAI are committing up to $50 million in combined funding, technology, and technical support, with a goal of reaching 1,000 primary health clinics and surrounding communities by 2028. The tools will be aligned with national clinical guidelines and optimized for accuracy, privacy, and security, according to the organizations.

“I spend a lot of time thinking about how AI can help us address fundamental challenges like poverty, hunger, and disease,” Bill Gates wrote in a blog post. “One issue that I keep coming back to is making great health care accessible to all — and that’s why we’re partnering with OpenAI and African leaders and innovators on Horizon1000.”

… more …

(Neo colonial testing of unproven tech. Reminds me of the Tuskegee experiment.)

(Spend some billions on training. Helping people to careers and freedom. Not trapped in crappy capitalism.)

[eppur_se_muova]

7. "designed to augment -- not replace -- health workers". Will be used in exactly the wrong way anyway in 3 ... 2 ... nt