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Software developers want AI to give medical advice, but questions abound about accuracy
CBSN
Software designers are testing specialized AI-powered chatbots that can give medical advice and diagnose conditions — but questions abound about accuracy.
This spring, Google unveiled an "AI Overview" feature where answers from the company's chatbot started to appear above typical search results, including for health-related queries. While it might have sounded like a good idea in theory, there have been issues around health advice offered by the software.
In the first week that the bot was online, one user said Google AI gave incorrect, possibly lethal information about what to do if bitten by a rattlesnake. Another search resulted in Google recommending people eat "at least one small rock per day" for vitamins and minerals — advice was lifted from a satirical article.