There has been a trend where individuals are turning to AI tools for medical advice recently, describing symptoms like "nasal congestion and difficulty breathing without coughing or a runny nose." They specifically asked Deepseek for a traditional Chinese medicine prescription, and Deepseek responded with prescription suggestions, decoction methods, and precautions. This situation has sparked discussions about the potential for AI to take over the role of doctors.
Dr Li Tao, Head of the Department of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine at the 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College (Nuclear Industry 416 Hospital), pointed out that using AI for diagnosis could result in less accurate assessments if the information provided is not thorough. Factors such as gender, age, height, and weight are crucial in traditional Chinese medicine, yet DeepSeek issued a prescription without considering these key details.
Director of the Health Management Center at the First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Wang Li, said that AI might eventually replace specialized medical positions like pathology and laboratory testing. However, he also said that AI's diagnostic results may be biased due to its analysis of a wide range of sometimes inconsistent information sources.
While AI can assist doctors and patients in analyzing symptoms, it falls short in providing the human touch and ethical considerations essential in medical care. This highlights the fact that AI cannot completely replace the expertise and empathy offered by medical professionals.