Using AI for medical advice can cause you harm, Canadian doctors warn

The Canadian Medical Association says the trend is especially alarming because so many people don't have access to a primary care provider.

The Canadian Medical Association says doctors are worried that more of their patients are turning to artificial intelligence for health advice — and getting answers that put them in danger.

The national group, which represents physicians across the country, says the trend is especially alarming because so many people don’t have access to a primary care provider, and they’re turning to sources that are easily available and quick.

“It’s alarming because a lot of that information is misinformation, disinformation, and false information. And so that really undermines the trust between patients and their physicians,” said Dr. Margot Burnell, the CMA’s president.

In a new survey commissioned by the CMA and conducted by Abacus Data, the association asked 5,001 Canadians a series of questions about where they get their health information and which sources they consider reliable.

Nearly all of the survey respondents reported that they look for health information online — most often for information about a particular condition or a symptom, or for treatment options.

Sixty-four per cent of survey respondents said they encountered health information online that they later learned was false or misleading — occasionally, often or all the time. Another 29 per cent said that happens rarely.

Only 27 per cent of respondents said they trust AI to provide accurate health information — but about half said they turn to AI search results from Google or platforms like ChatGPT for health information. Around 38 per cent said they used ChatGPT for treatment advice.

Those who followed the advice they got from AI were five times more likely to say they experienced an adverse reaction or negative effect on their health as a result, said the survey.