According to a recent study, ChatGPT, an AI chatbot, offered 97% accurate responses to typical cancer myths and misconceptions. However, because of its indirect and possibly perplexing wording, it aroused concerns, underscoring the need for caution when encouraging patients to use chatbots for cancer information.
The growing usage of chatbots and artificial intelligence (AI) in the dissemination of cancer-related information was explored in a study that was published in the Journal of The National Cancer Institute Cancer Spectrum. These internet materials effectively dispel widespread beliefs and myths about cancer, according to the experts. Skyler Johnson, MD, a physician-scientist at the Huntsman Cancer Institute and an assistant professor in the University of Utah’s radiation oncology department, carried out this ground-breaking study. His objective was to evaluate ChatGPT’s cancer information’s dependability and accuracy.
The National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) list of common cancer myths and misconceptions served as a testing ground for Johnson and his team. They discovered that an impressive 97% of the responses given by ChatGPT were correct. However, this result comes with several important limitations. The team’s main worry was the possibility that any of ChatGPT’s responses would be misunderstood or misread.
Cancer patients may make some poor decisions as a result of this. When advising patients on whether or not to use chatbots for cancer information, the team advised caution, according to Johnson.
According to the study, reviewers were blinded, which means they had no idea whether entity provided the answers—the chatbot or the NCI. Reviewers considered ChatGPT’s terminology to be oblique, ambiguous, and occasionally incomprehensible even though the answers were correct.
“I recognize and understand how difficult it can feel for cancer patients and caregivers to access accurate information,” says Johnson. “These sources need to be studied so that we can help cancer patients navigate the murky waters that exist in the online information environment as they try to seek answers about their diagnoses.”
Patients with cancer may be harmed by false information. Johnson and his team discovered that false information was pervasive on social media and had the potential to harm cancer patients in a prior study that was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
The following phases involve assessing how frequently patients use chatbots to research cancer, the questions they ask, and if AI chatbots accurately respond to common or atypical cancer-related queries.
Reference: “Using ChatGPT to evaluate cancer myths and misconceptions: artificial intelligence and cancer information” by Skyler B Johnson, Andy J King, Echo L Warner, Sanjay Aneja, Benjamin H Kann and Carma L Bylund, 17 March 2023, Journal of The National Cancer Institute – Cancer Spectrum.
