Microsoft Is Worried About Doctors Using AI To Break Bad News

If there’s one thing that’s on plenty of people’s minds at the moment, it’s AI. Artificial intelligence is nothing new, with people making use of the tech for years, but it really has boomed in the last year or so. Now, there is a lot of debate about the ethics behind AI, the risk to people’s jobs, and how it gathers data to use in the first place.

It seems there might be another issue to add to the list. ChatGPT, owned by OpenAI, is one of the most popular AIs on the market, but Microsoft is worried about doctors using AI to break bad news to their patients, getting people talking once again.

Doctors have been using AI to break bad news to patients

The New York Times reports that ChatGPT might have gotten a brand new use from doctors: to help them be more empathetic toward their patients, especially when they need to break bad news. For months, people have argued that AI struggles to create anything that resembles empathy and emotion, a complete contradiction of doctors using the resources to help make their patients feel more comfortable. Microsoft has long been closely linked to OpenAI, but even they are now worried about doctors using AI to tell them what to say in tough situations. Peter Lee, a high-up at Microsoft, told the New York Times it would “feel a little weird about it” if he found out his doctor used AI.

AI could help to remove complicated words from a diagnosis

Just because some, including Microsoft, aren’t entirely convinced about doctors using AI doesn’t mean everyone is focused on the downsides. It’s perhaps no secret that many doctors struggle to remove jargon and complicated terms when explaining a diagnosis to a patient. Many are now arguing that by making use of AI, they can remove the complex language that often leaves patients more confused and instead help explain to them the treatment they need and their outcome.

Some have argued about the pros and cons of using AI in medicine

It seems it might not just be doctors who are using AI to help when it comes to medical diagnoses. Gregory Moore, a previous Microsoft employee, admitted that he asked ChatGPT for some help when learning that a friend had been diagnosed with advanced cancer. Gregory admitted to the New York Times that he was blown away by the response, but a lot of people still aren’t happy. Many feel that using a chatbot instead of coming up with your own way to say things takes away from the human part of the profession, especially as many patients want to feel as though they’re being treated like a person.

People are worried about doctors using AI to make medical decisions

Using ChatGPT to come up with ways to tell people bad news is one thing, but what about using AI as a way to come up with a medical decision? Dev Dash, a worker at Stanford Health Care, is evaluating things like ChatGPT being used in medical settings and admits there are trends showing doctors have been using AI to help with their patients’ treatment. In fact, Dev told the New York Times that they are “using it to guide clinical decision-making,” and he “[doesn’t] think it’s appropriate.” Of course, if this becomes the norm, there’s a good chance there could be a lot more backlash than what we have seen so far.

It seems that Microsoft aren’t the only ones who are worried about doctors using AI to break bad news, but will there ever be an end to it all? With AI becoming more a part of our lives than many of us ever imagined, it’s hard to now picture a world where it doesn’t exist.