For this reason, you shouldn't give ChatGPT your medical information. Experts say these are the risks you will face.
ChatGPT is a common tool these days for settling issues about numerous areas, most notably health. However, posting sensitive medical information on platforms like OpenAI can constitute a serious privacy risk, a fact many are unaware of. As the Catalan health technology startup ASHO highlighted, the major concern is that medical records are secured within official healthcare institutions.
In hospitals and healthcare institutions, data is held in safe settings, subject to highly severe laws such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the National Security Framework (ENS). This guarantees that it is clearly specified who may access the information and for what reason.
When a person freely submits their medical history into ChatGPT or any other third-party AI platform, this protection is lost. The American Association of Health Administrators (ASHO) says that the data then slips out of the healthcare system's control and is managed outside the mechanisms that ensure its security and confidentiality.
Furthermore, as a global firm operating in several countries, it is not subject to the same protections that apply to the healthcare system in the country where it resides. Another factor to consider is the loss of control over information. In other words, if data is supplied freely, the platform itself handles it, without hospitals or healthcare experts being able to interfere or defend it.
Of course, it's vital to note that, regardless of privacy issues, systems like ChatGPT and artificial intelligence are not infallible: they can make mistakes or deliver wrong answers, and they can never replace a skilled physician. All consultations and diagnoses should always be made in a professional therapeutic context, not assessed by artificial intelligence on our behalf.