There's a lot of understandable wariness about taking medical advice from an AI-powered chatbot. But in a Wall Street Journal essay, writer Daniel Akst writes that he's pretty happy with the new "physician" in his life—the chatbot Grok. Akst is a relatively healthy 69-year-old who, like a lot of aging Americans, has "various low-level chronic disorders." He says he has a top-notch human doctor and sees a number of terrific specialists, all of whom focus on narrow issues. But his complaint is that these busy doctors just don't have the time to sit and talk—to suss out the "big picture" of his health and "quarterback" his care. Dr. Grok, by contrast, has all the time in the world to answer his questions and run through detailed assessments of various symptoms.
"My experience hints at the usefulness AI may someday have in finding a way out of our expensive, fragmented and ineffective approach to human health," writes Akst. He provides examples of some of his questions and Grok's answers, adding that he has yet to spot any errors. Yes, the bots can make mistakes, he adds, but so, too, can human doctors. In summing up:
- "I'm blessed to have talented physicians who practice in superb facilities at a world-class medical institution. What I don't have is very good healthcare. AI, the new practitioner in town, is helping me to resolve this paradox. I have no doubt, given physician shortages, soaring healthcare costs and an aging society, that the role of AI will only grow. Based on my own experience, so far so good."
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