Caution! Chatbots provide unreliable information about medication

Caution! Chatbots provide unreliable information about medication

Erlangen, Deutschland - The digital world opens up many ways to obtain information, especially when it comes to health issues. Today, many people are looking for answers to their questions about medication on the Internet rather than the doctor or pharmacist. However, a current study from erlangen raises serious concerns how reliable this information can be. This shows that AI supported search engines and in particular chatbots often provide inaccurate and incomplete data.

In this study, published in the journal "BMJ Quality & Safety", scientists around Truam Andrikyan found that the answers of the chatbots do not achieve the quality that is necessary for the safe use of medication. Andrikyan emphasizes that a clear note is essential to point out the users on the limits of the information provided by chatbots.

inadequate information for laypersons

The researchers founded their study on the observation that many patients inform themselves about their medication on the Internet. They ask questions about frequently prescribed medicines and then received answers from the AI-based chatbot of the Microsoft search engine Bing. These were examined, among other things, on topics such as intake, side effects and contraindications.

Andrikyan described that the chat bot initially delivered results that cut well in terms of completeness and accuracy. However, there were considerable defects in specific inquiries. Since it is often difficult for medical laypersons to assess the quality of the information, there is a potential risk of patient safety. The expert continues that although the progress in AI technology is remarkable, the security risks cannot be ignored.

Another important concern is that chatbots are trained in various data records, which could vary the quality and security. A more comprehensive approach to evaluating the technologies is therefore necessary to ensure reliable health information.