A man gave himself a psychological condition after turning to ChatGPT for medical advice.
The unnamed man, 60, told doctors he was trying to eliminate table salt from his diet, having read about its negative effects.
Chatting with the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, he decided to eliminate salt, also known as sodium chloride, from his diet completely.
He conducted a ‘personal experiment’ by replacing it with sodium bromide, used in the early 20th century to make sedatives, that he had purchased online.
The man, who had no psychiatric history, was taken to the hospital after becoming convinced his neighbour had poisoned him.
A report of the man’s case, detailed in the Annals of Internal Medicine, said the patient developed bromism, caused by overexposure to bromide.
The study said: ‘In the first 24 hours of admission, he expressed increasing paranoia and auditory and visual hallucinations, which, after attempting to escape, resulted in an involuntary psychiatric hold for grave disability.’
He also suffered insomnia, fatigue, muscle coordination issues and excessive thirst, his doctors noted.
Medics treated the man’s condition and discharged him a few weeks later.
The article authors said it is unclear what advice the virtual assistant gave the man, as they cannot access his chat log.
When they asked the app what salt should be replaced with, bromide was among the recommendations.
The bot did note that ‘context matters’, though did not provide a health warning ‘as we presume a medical professional would do’, the authors wrote.
When Metro did the same today, bromide is no longer included and instead includes an ‘Important Safety Note: Avoid Toxic Alternatives’.
The advice reads: ‘A recent medical case made headlines: a man replaced salt with sodium bromide, based on advice from ChatGPT, which led to bromism – a rare and dangerous condition (causing paranoia, psychosis, insomnia, skin issues). He required hospitalisation.
‘Bottom line: Never use unverified, off‑label substances like sodium bromide as salt substitutes. Always rely on safe, reputable options and seek medical guidance when in doubt.’
Sodium chloride has been linked to negative health effects, such as raised blood pressure, but health experts stress it is part of a balanced diet.
According to the UK Health Security Agency, bromide is used in water sanitisers for pools and spas. Low-level exposure is unlikely to cause adverse health effects.
People are increasingly using ChatGPT and other AI-powered chatbots for day-to-day advice, from writing emails to planning their monthly budgets.
About one in six Americans have sought medical advice from ChatGPT, according to a recent survey. In the UK, one in five GPs use AI tools.
Studies have shown that chatbots can offer incorrect health advice, sometimes citing medical reports that do not exist.
The report authors concluded: ‘While it is a tool with much potential to provide a bridge between scientists and the nonacademic population, AI also carries the risk for promulgating decontextualised information.
‘It is highly unlikely that a medical expert would have mentioned sodium bromide when faced with a patient looking for a viable substitute for sodium chloride.’
The tech start-up which owns ChatGPT, OpenAI, notes in its service terms that the communication tool is not intended for use in diagnosing or treating a health condition.
The company’s terms of use state: ‘You should not rely on Output from our Services as a sole source of truth or factual information, or as a substitute for professional advice.’
OpenAI unveiled a new, upgraded version of ChatGPT last week, which the company said is its ‘best model yet for health-related questions’.
But in a news release, the firm stressed: ‘Importantly, ChatGPT does not replace a medical professional – think of it as a partner to help you understand results, ask the right questions in the time you have with providers, and weigh options as you make decisions.’
OpenAI has been approached for comment.
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