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ZDNET's key takeaways
5% of messages to ChatGPT globally concern healthcare.
Users ask about symptoms and insurance advice, for example.
Chatbots can provide dangerously inaccurate information.
More than 40 million people worldwide rely on ChatGPT for daily medical advice, according to a new report from OpenAI shared exclusively with Axios.
The report, based on an anonymized analysis of ChatGPT interactions and a user survey, also sheds light on some of the specific ways people are using AI to navigate the sometimes complex intricacies of healthcare. Some are prompting ChatGPT with queries regarding insurance denial appeals and possible overcharges, for example, while others are describing their symptoms, hoping to receive a diagnosis or treatment advice.
It should come as no surprise that a large number of people are using ChatGPT for sensitive personal matters. The three-year-old chatbot, along with others like Google's Gemini and Microsoft's Copilot, has become a confidant and companion for many users, a guide through some of life's thornier moments.
Also: Can you trust an AI health coach? A month with my Pixel Watch made the answer obvious
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