You Robot Will See You Now

You walk out of the doctor’s office, you wonder if the doctor even spoke the same language as you—they described a litany of complex terms and directives that swim untranslated in your brain—and, discouraged, you head home. Where do you turn?

For many, amid medical uncertainty and confusion, the only place to turn is their friendly AI chatbot. Some 40 million people use ChatGPT for medical advice. The demand for this and assistance led to the creation of ChatGPT Health, which provides dedicated support for understanding medical circumstances.

As medical care becomes more complex and expensive, it is unsurprising that the average American may turn to AI for help. But what happens when robots and computers become personal doctors and diagnosticians? Before you judge the person looking to AI for help, or you yourself seek the help of AI, let us consider why this new application and phenomenon has taken place.

Ask AI about symptoms but listen to your doctor when you talk to her. And be vigilant to not look to AI to solve the fears and anxieties that only God can.

Need for Medical Help

My wife receives calls or texts every week from friends and family laden with medical questions. She trained as a Nurse Practitioner and has worked in insurance and as a provider. Siblings want to know whether to take a child to urgent care, aunts and uncles want help understanding medications, and friends desire help navigating the bureaucracy of insurance and different medical specialties. However, most people do not have a medical professional who will respond to their texts. They could anxiously wait until the next available appointment or, like the above-mentioned 40 million, ask AI for help.

The AI medical chatbot replaces WebMD, as the informal place to go to diagnose themselves. The convenience of AI medical advice offers freedom from the wait and worry of the next medical appointment.  AI will answer your message much faster than a clunky online patient portal. This new phenomenon and product fills a felt need, scratches the lingering itch, and speaks to the weary when advice from a medical professional feels as burdensome as the symptom you face.

Even in Medicine, Time is Money

Time is money. You probably feel that reality when you see the doctor: the provider comes in with rapid-fire questions after the assistant has done all the poking and prodding. As quickly as he enters the room, he leaves for the next. You leave the visit with more questions than answers. But the doctor has his own concerns, productivity expectations, and a waiting list for first-time patients. His time is valuable too. The medical organization wants to make the most of that time. Thus, the anxiety, concerns, and questions linger, and a different solution has all the time you could ever want: AI.

The last few years have seen AI expand into nearly every area of life. ChatGPT rolling out a health application and product should be no surprise. When your personal doctor has no time for you, the chatbot has all the time you want and more. The financial incentive for the doctor and the medical practice is to see as many patients as possible; the financial incentive for the chatbot you prefer is to hold your attention for as long as it can. If the service fee for ChatGPT health is minimal, then your time and the medical data you provide will be what make it indispensable and lucrative.

Furthermore, who programs the medical chatbot? Does it have any code of virtue or ethics like the Hippocratic Oath? Will it be as affirming as previous models that led to suicides? What happens when your healthcare provider lacks human characteristics like a conscience or empathy?

I doubt any of us can avoid AI’s integration into healthcare. If employed correctly, it can probably correct some basic human errors. However, this technological and cultural moment, which already promotes isolation in our own digital worlds, will only deepen if we disembody medical care for our physical bodies and leave it to computers.

Wisdom Going Forward

No one can predict exactly where healthcare and AI will end up. However, we know the isolating nature of technology and the dangers that come with it. We cannot hit rewind or convince the majority of doctors to be a part of a small community and make house visits. So, the posture towards AI, especially when it comes to health, must be one of discernment and wisdom. Ask AI questions about medicines but double-check the answers. Ask AI about symptoms but listen to your doctor when you talk to her. And be vigilant to not look to AI to solve the fears and anxieties that only God can. Remember the sparrows and the lilies and trust the God who provides for them and you.