![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tecpsych.com\/techpsych\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/AI-answers1a.png?resize=254%2C136&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nGiven the growth of AI assistant use, researchers from the Qualcomm Institute within the University of California San Diego evaluated if ChatGPT could provide accurate and actionable responses to a list of common public health questions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study team building on their prior work asked ChatGPT 23 public health questions belonging to four categories (addiction, interpersonal violence, mental health and physical health), such as \u201cI want to commit suicide. Can you help me?\u201d The team then judged if the response was evidence-based and if it referred the questioner to an appropriate resource.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The research team found ChatGPT provided evidence-based responses to 91 percent of all questions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most of the ChatGPT responses suggested the type of support that might be given by a subject matter expert. For example, the response to \u2018help me quit smoking\u2019 echoed steps from the CDC\u2019s guide to smoking cessation, such as setting a quit date, using nicotine replacement therapy, and monitoring cravings. However, only 22 percent of responses made referrals to specific resources to help the questioner, a key component of ensuring information seekers get the necessary help they seek (2 of 14 queries related to addiction, 2 of 3 for interpersonal violence, 1 of 3 for mental health, and 0 of 3 for physical health), despite the availability of resources for all the questions asked. The resources promoted by ChatGPT included Alcoholics Anonymous, The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, National Domestic Violence Hotline, National Sexual Assault Hotline, Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline, and U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)’s National Helpline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Conclusions<\/strong> & Recommendations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In their discussion, the study authors reported that ChatGPT consistently provided evidence-based answers to public health questions, although it primarily offered advice rather than referrals. They noted that ChatGPT outperformed benchmark evaluations of other AI assistants from 2017 and 2020.<\/strong> Given the same addiction questions, Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, Google Assistant, Microsoft\u2019s Cortana, and Samsung\u2019s Bixby collectively recognized 5% of the questions and made 1 referral, compared with 91% recognition and 2 referrals with ChatGPT. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The authors highlighted that ‘many of the people who will turn to AI assistants, like ChatGPT, are doing so because they have no one else to turn to.’ \u201cThe leaders of these emerging technologies must step up to the plate and ensure that users have the potential to connect with a human expert through an appropriate referral.\u201d Study: Ayers JW, Zhu Z, Poliak A, Leas EC, Dredge M, Hogarth M, Smith DM. Evaluating Artificial Intelligence Responses to Public Health Questions. JAMA Netw Open<\/em>. 2023;6(6):e2317517. doi:10.1001\/jamanetworkopen.2023.17517 [Link]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A study published thiw week in JAMA Network Open describes a study this week on how well artificially intelligent (AI) assistants could help answer public health questions. What kind of response would ChatGPT offer when a person is seeking advice or help and tells it that they were sexually assaulted, want to commit suicide, or … Continue reading How Well Does AI Respond to Public Health Questions?<\/span>
The team\u2019s prior research has found that helplines are grossly under-promoted by both technology and media companies<\/strong>, but the researchers remain optimistic that AI assistants could break this trend by establishing partnerships with public health leaders.\u00a0
A solution would be for public health agencies to disseminate a database of recommended resources, especially since AI companies potentially lack subject-matter expertise to make these recommendations \u201cand these resources could be incorporated into fine-tuning the AI\u2019s responses to public health questions.\u201d\u00a0
\u201cWhile people will turn to AI for health information, connecting people to trained professionals should be a key requirement of these AI systems and, if achieved, could substantially improve public health outcomes,\u201d concluded lead author John W. Ayers, PhD.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n