Staff Reports
In the far-off year of 2371, folks aboard the starship Voyager had no other option but to trust the AI doctor who served as their lone medical practitioner following the deaths of the real medical staff. But while that may fly in the fictional world, it seems like some people in the here and now are a little too eager to embrace the idea of turning over their health care to computer algorithms.
Majority of Americans Trust Internet, AI More Than Their Doctor's Opinions: Poll https://t.co/3KymCaOPX2
— WND News (@worldnetdaily) December 21, 2023
A recent survey from UserTesting suggests that a hefty chunk of Americans are more open to the idea of AI healthcare than their counterparts in the U.K. and Australia. While 44% of Brits and 27% of Aussies expressed some skepticism about AI-related health care, only about 6% of Americans agreed with them.
But a quick search online can only get you so far, especially when it comes to your health. Relying on social media for health advice seems like a pretty bad idea, considering the questionable quality of some of the information floating around out there.
A stunning 53% of Americans are turning to the internet for health information, and a staggering 46% are seeking it from social media. Yikes! And if that weren’t enough, over half of Americans have reportedly turned to a virtual language model like ChatGPT for a diagnosis, and 84% of them said the diagnosis was accurate when they consulted an actual doctor. But what about that other 16%?
But here’s the kicker: with so many people willing to turn to AI for their health needs, where does that leave accountability? If a doctor gives a bad diagnosis, there’s always the option of taking legal action. But if it’s a computer algorithm, who can you hold responsible if things go awry? Starfleet Medical?
