OpenAI has announced that ChatGPT will no longer provide specific medical, legal, or financial guidance. The change, effective from October 29, officially redefines the chatbot as an educational tool rather than a professional consultant, according to a report by NEXTA cited by News18.
What are the new rules?
As per the report, the updated rules of service now also prohibit the chatbot from suggesting drugs, dosages, legal strategies, or specific investment advice like 'buy' and 'sell'. On the other hand, this AI model will only be able to explain general principles, outline basic mechanisms, or refer users to a licensed professional for personal consultation, such as doctors, lawyers, or financial advisors.
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The NEXTA reports that ChatGPT will now only be allowed to “explain principles, outline general mechanisms and tell you to talk to a doctor, lawyer or financial professional.”
The move reportedly follows several incidents where people suffered harm after following the advice from ChatGPT. In one such case, a 60-year-old man was hospitalised for three weeks after replacing table salt with sodium bromide, claiming he did so based on information from ChatGPT. A report in the Annals of Internal Medicine said that the man developed severe paranoia and hallucinations within 24 hours of the substitution.
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Another case is that of 37-year-old Warren Tierney, from Ireland, who had difficulty swallowing and consulted ChatGPT. The chatbot reportedly assured him that his chances of having cancer were "highly unlikely." Due to this, Tierney waited longer before seeking medical help. He was later diagnosed with stage four oesophageal cancer. “I think it ended up being a real problem because ChatGPT probably delayed me getting serious attention. It sounded convincing and had all these good ideas, but ultimately, I take full responsibility for what happened,” he told Mirror.
