- A four-year-old boy experienced concerning symptoms, including pain and stunted growth.
- Despite 17 doctor’s appointments over three years, his mother turned to ChatGPT for answers.
- ChatGPT suggested tethered cord syndrome, which was later confirmed by a doctor according to TODAY.com.
One woman resorted to ChatGPT for a diagnosis when more than a dozen doctors were unable to determine her son’s condition.
During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Courtney noticed concerning symptoms in her four-year-old son, Alex. He experienced intense pain, chewed on various objects, and his growth had halted, as reported by TODAY.com. To protect her family’s privacy, Courtney chose not to disclose her last name.
In 2021, Alex exhibited imbalances between his left and right side. “He would lead with his right foot and just bring his left food along for the ride,” Courtney shared with TODAY.com.
Despite numerous medical appointments spanning three years, the cause of Alex’s symptoms remained elusive. Frustrated, Courtney turned to ChatGPT for answers.
ChatGPT identified a potential spinal cord abnormality, which turned out to be correct.
ChatGPT’s successful diagnosis
“I carefully analyzed his MRI notes and entered the details into ChatGPT,” Courtney revealed to TODAY.com. She also mentioned that Alex’s inability to sit crisscross applesauce was a significant clue that “something structurally could be wrong.”
ChatGPT eventually suggested “tethered cord syndrome,” a neurological condition characterized by the attachment of the spinal cord to the surrounding tissues of the spine.
Courtney joined a Facebook group for families of children with the syndrome and found stories similar to Alex’s.
During an appointment with a new neurosurgeon, Courtney mentioned ChatGPT’s suggestion, which was ultimately confirmed by the doctor. The doctor was able to identify the specific location in Alex’s spine where the tethering occurred using his MRI.
Alex recently underwent surgery to address the spinal issue and is currently in recovery, as reported by TODAY.com.
The potential and limitations of ChatGPT for medical diagnoses
While ChatGPT assisted Courtney in identifying Alex’s condition, doctors caution that ChatGPT can still make errors.
“OpenAI’s ChatGPT and other generative AI products currently have known issues and are not error-free,” stated Dr. Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, president of the American Medical Association, in an interview with TODAY.com.
One concern is ChatGPT’s tendency to generate incorrect information, referred to as “hallucination.” The AI program is also susceptible to simple computational errors, such as inaccurately solving Sudoku puzzles or miscalculating a BMI it had previously calculated correctly, as previously reported by Insider.
However, some doctors are impressed by ChatGPT’s ability to effectively diagnose certain medical conditions.
In his book “The AI Revolution in Medicine,” Dr. Isaac Kohane, a physician and computer scientist from Harvard, tested the latest version of ChatGPT, GPT-4. He noted that the new iteration of ChatGPT might outperform many doctors he has observed. Additionally, it correctly answered US medical exam licensing questions over 90% of the time, as reported by Insider.
Currently, access to GPT-4 is limited to paid subscribers.
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