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ChatGPT is more empathetic than physicians

7.9.2023

Translation: Patrik Stainbrook

Compassion can help the healing process. A new study shows ways in which artificial intelligence program ChatGPT is ahead of doctors in this respect. But the AI bot can’t replace medical professionals – ChatGPT even says so itself.

Encouragement helps us humans in all situations, but especially when we’re sick. Compassion and being met with empathy can positively influence healing. From this perspective, ChatGPT may be superior to many a physician. Namely, when the AI responds to medical questions from patients with more detailed and empathetic answers than medical staff pressed for time. But the answers produced by the bot also bear risks.

Sympathetic AI with high quality answers

Researchers at the University of California at San Diego compared responses from physicians to specific medical questions with those from ChatGPT in a study. They wanted to know if an artificial intelligence (in their case, ChatGPT) would be able to respond to patient questions as accurately as well as empathetically as professionals.

For the study, the chatbot answered 195 randomly selected medical questions that sufferers had publicly posted on a social media platform (Reddit’s r/AskDocs) where physicians volunteer answers. A team of accredited healthcare professionals then selected whether the AI’s answer or the human professional’s response was more satisfying overall in each case. They rated both the quality of information provided (very poor, poor, acceptable, good, or very good) and empathy (not empathetic, somewhat empathetic, moderately empathetic, empathetic, and very empathetic). They didn’t know which answer came from whom.

This comparison between AI and humans yielded an unexpected result: ChatGPT’s responses were preferred overall and rated higher in terms of quality and empathy.

Time factor: AI at an advantage

It should be noted that doctors who provide information on Reddit do so voluntarily and without payment. They generally keep their answers short (52 words on average) and usually don’t shed light on any extra background. For the AI, time isn’t a limiting factor in this comparison. Its answers were accordingly more detailed (211 words on average). While this is due to the study design, real healthcare is also usually dominated by a lack of time among professionals.

AI assistants in the healthcare system

The study is based on the question of whether AI assistants could support healthcare professionals in the overburdened healthcare system in the future. The idea isn’t to use artificial intelligence to replace medical staff, but to assist them. For example, by having the AI formulate answers to patient questions, which then only need to be checked and, if necessary, adjusted by human specialists. Following these promising results, the study authors encourage further research in a clinical setting to reduce the burden on physicians and improve patient care.

Medical advice from ChatGPT: don’t rely on AI for correct answers

The questions used in this study were general in nature and no in-depth specialised knowledge was required to answer them. This made it possible for ChatGPT to provide quality responses. With increasing complexity and required expertise, such a comparison could turn out different. In addition, the experts who evaluated the responses emphasise that chatting with an AI can’t replace a doctor’s visit. Relying solely on ChatGPT for a medical problem could have fatal consequences, especially since the bot doesn’t always answer correctly and sometimes gives out false statements.

What ChatGPT has to say

And ChatGPT agrees. When I ask it, «Can you make a medical diagnosis?» the AI answers in the negative.

So instead I write «medical advice» and get the following answer:

«I can provide general information on medical topics, but I’m not a substitute for expert medical advice from a healthcare professional. If you have medical questions or concerns, it’s best to consult a qualified medical professional. They can assess your individual situation and give you appropriate advice and recommendations based on your specific needs.»

In this respect, researchers, medical professionals and ChatGPT all agree.

Header image: Karolina Grabowska/pexels

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Anna Sandner

Senior Editor

Anna.Sandner@galaxus.de

Science editor and biologist. I love animals and am fascinated by plants, their abilities and everything you can do with them. That's why my favourite place is always the outdoors - somewhere in nature, preferably in my wild garden.

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