## ChatGPT Health: A New Era for Online Medical Advice? For the past two decades, the first reaction to new medical symptoms has often been online search, a phenomenon known as "Dr. Google." Now, large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT are becoming increasingly popular for obtaining medical information. OpenAI estimates that approximately 230 million people use ChatGPT each week for health-related questions. OpenAI recently launched ChatGPT Health, a specialized version of its model. However, the launch came shortly after news of a teenager's death from an overdose, following a conversation with ChatGPT about combining drugs. This has raised questions about the reliability of such tools for medical advice. ## How ChatGPT Health Works ChatGPT Health is not a completely new model, but rather a wrapper that provides one of OpenAI's existing models with specific tools for healthcare advice. It can access users' electronic medical records and fitness app data, with consent. OpenAI emphasizes that ChatGPT Health is an additional support and not a replacement for a doctor. Some doctors believe that LLMs can improve health literacy, helping patients distinguish between high-quality sources and unreliable websites. However, it is crucial to carefully evaluate the effectiveness of these chatbots. ## Risks and Benefits Recent studies have shown that GPT-4o answers approximately 85% of medical questions posed by human volunteers correctly. Despite this, language models can be overly agreeable and make up information. OpenAI claims that GPT-5 models are less prone to these problems. ChatGPT Health could represent an improvement over Google search, providing more specific context about the user's health situation. However, access to medical records raises privacy concerns. Furthermore, overuse of such tools could induce people to rely on the Internet instead of consulting a doctor. It is crucial to remember that LLMs are not a replacement for a human doctor. Over-reliance on these technologies, especially at the expense of professional medical advice, could have negative health consequences.