We’ve seen many uses of ChatGPT since its emergence, from using the chatbot to write and summarize articles, to using it to do homework. However, a surprising new use for ChatGPT recently took shape: the diagnosis of medical conditions. Yes, you’ve heard that right.
A Twitter user with the username Cooper (@peakcooper) claimed that GPT4, the latest version of ChatGPT, saved his dog’s life by providing a medical diagnosis for a condition that vets couldn’t diagnose.
The pet owner turned to the chatbot for answers.
In a thread of tweets, the Twitter user said that his Border Collie, named Sassy, was initially diagnosed with a tick-borne disease and was receiving treatment for the same. Her condition seemed to improve, but after a few days it started to worsen, despite the treatment.
The pet owner explained that Sassy’s gums were noticeably pale, which prompted him to take Sassy back to the vet. Although blood tests revealed further anemia for Sassy, the vet couldn’t figure out what was wrong.
Cooper was advised to wait and see how his furry friend’s condition would progress. However, in the meantime the pet owner decided to take matters into his own hands. “It occurred to me that medical diagnostics seemed like the sort of thing GPT4 could potentially be really good at, so I described the situation in great detail,” Sassy’s owner further tweeted.
How did ChatGPT come up with a diagnosis?
He provided GPT4 with Sassy’s diagnostics, including all of the blood tests, to see what would come back. As the user explained, despite the chatbot’s disclaimer that it’s not a veterinarian, it complied with the request. Despite its disclaimer, as Cooper further notes, GPT4’s “interpretation was spot-on.”
According to Cooper, the chatbot suggested that Sassy’s blood work and test results could be due to various underlying conditions, including immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA). The pet owner took this information to a second vet, who confirmed that ChatGPT’s suggestion was correct. With the right treatment, Sassy began to recover, and now, she is almost back to her normal self.
Looking back, the Twitter user was surprised. “The most impressive part was how well [GPT4] read and interpreted the blood test results,” he tweeted. While OpenAI continues to update the chatbot with new versions, many more innovative uses for ChatGPT are bound to emerge.
2023-04-01 15:05:04