Case study links ChatGPT health advice to rare metal poisoning in 60-year-old man
PHILADELPHIA, USA: A newly published medical case study has detailed how health guidance from ChatGPT allegedly contributed to a rare case of bromism, a form of metal poisoning caused by prolonged sodium bromide consumption, in a 60-year-old man according to the report published by NDTV's Gadgets360.
The report, appearing in Annals of Internal Medicine Clinical Cases under the title “A Case of Bromism Influenced by Use of Artificial Intelligence,” describes how the patient developed symptoms including psychosis, paranoia, hallucinations, insomnia, fatigue, ataxia and skin changes after three months of substituting sodium chloride (table salt) with sodium bromide in his diet.
According to the patient, he made the switch after asking ChatGPT for alternatives to sodium chloride. The study suggests that either GPT-3.5 or GPT-4 generated a response listing bromide as an option, without a clear medical warning or follow-up questions about the intended use. While the researchers could not access the original chat log, they note that their own tests with ChatGPT 3.5 produced similar answers.
Medical staff diagnosed bromism after sedation, toxicology testing and consultation with the Poison Control Department and the man's symptoms improved after three weeks of treatment.
The authors have cautioned that AI chatbots can produce scientific inaccuracies, lack critical medical judgment and spread misinformation. OpenAI, when contacted, pointed to its terms of use, which explicitly warn users not to rely on ChatGPT as a substitute for professional advice.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Man found hanging at brother's house in Delhi's Jafrabad; suicide over matrimonial discord suspected
New Delhi (PTI): A 30-year-old man was found hanging at his residence in northeast Delhi's Jafrabad area on Thursday, with police suspecting that matrimonial discord may have driven him to take the extreme step, an official said.
Information was received from Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital regarding a person who had been brought dead, he said.
During enquiry, the deceased was identified as Chand (30), a resident of Welcome area. Police said he was staying with his brother at a house in Jafrabad where he was allegedly found hanging.
According to police, Chand was first taken to Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital by family members after they found him in an unconscious state, and was declared brought dead.
The family later shifted him to LNJP Hospital seeking a second medical opinion, where doctors again declared him dead, police said.
Police said the body has been sent for post-mortem to ascertain the cause of death.
During preliminary verification, it came to light that Chand was facing matrimonial issues. His wife had reportedly left him and shifted to her parental home following disputes between the couple, police said, adding that the angle is being examined as part of the investigation.
Crime and forensics teams were informed and necessary legal proceedings are underway, police said.
