ChatGPT recommendations brought a man to the hospital (3 photos)

The worst thing you can do when you're feeling unwell is to search for your symptoms online. And turning to ChatGPT for medical advice can have even more dire consequences. A 60-year-old man learned this the hard way. Concerned about the amount of salt in his diet, he decided to consult an AI, and it developed a deadly diet for him.





The chatbot suggested that the American replace sodium chloride with bromide, which is found in small quantities in seawater and some minerals. It was previously used in some medications. But then it turned out that in large doses it is toxic.



The man, unsuspectingly, replaced the salt with bromide, which he ordered online. Three months later, he began to hallucinate and became very paranoid. He was hospitalized.

The patient, who had previously had no health problems, suspected his neighbor of poisoning him. However, after treatment, his condition worsened: acne and cherry angiomas appeared. Doctors diagnosed bromism.

The syndrome, which occurs as a result of long-term bromine use, manifests itself in neurological symptoms such as seizures, tremors, confusion, and even coma. It can also lead to anxiety, depression, psychosis, fatigue, and anorexia, among other health problems.



“Inspired by his experiences studying nutrition in college, the man decided to experiment by eliminating salt from his diet,” the case report states. “He replaced table salt with sodium bromide, which he purchased online after talking to ChatGPT. The AI suggested that the chloride could be replaced with bromide, although likely for other purposes, such as cleaning.”

After three weeks in the hospital, the man was discharged.

The case was described in the medical journal American College of Physicians. The authors addressed readers: “ChatGPT and other AI systems can generate scientific inaccuracies and contribute to misinformation.”

OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, emphasizes that its terms of use clearly state: “You should not rely on our services as a sole source of reliable information or as a substitute for professional advice. The service is not intended to diagnose or treat disease.”