ChatGPT now has a space for sharing medical records. Should you? - CBS News

What the report says

CBS News reports that OpenAI has introduced “Health in ChatGPT,” a dedicated area where users can upload medical information including lab results and medication lists, and link Apple Health data. OpenAI said the feature can use connected information, with permission, to help users review changes in test results, summarize information since a medical visit, or look at patterns involving sleep, exercise and routines. The company said 300 million people ask ChatGPT health-related questions each week.

The report highlights warnings from health and AI experts about relying on a chatbot for medical guidance. Tanzeem Choudhury, chief of health innovation at Cornell Tech, told CBS News that the popularity of AI health advice reflects access problems in U.S. healthcare, but said users must understand the risks. CBS notes that chatbots can produce inaccurate or unsafe answers, and cites recent cases involving alleged or reported harm after people followed ChatGPT-related health guidance. OpenAI told CBS that ChatGPT is not a doctor and should not replace medical care, diagnosis or treatment.

Privacy is another concern raised in the article. Vishal Misra, a Columbia University computer science professor and vice dean for computing and AI, said sharing health data with a chatbot carries the same basic risks as sharing sensitive medical information elsewhere. OpenAI said Health in ChatGPT was tested with physicians, includes added encryption safeguards, asks for confirmation before some connected actions, and will not use uploaded records to train models or target ads.

The central takeaway from the CBS report is that AI tools may help users organize and interpret health data, but experts urge caution. Misra said any output should be taken to a human physician, not treated as a substitute for medical judgment.