OpenAI launches ChatGPT Health as 230 million users seek health advice weekly

OpenAI has announced the launch of ChatGPT Health, a new feature designed to provide users with a dedicated space to discuss health-related topics with the AI, the company said on Wednesday.

OpenAI stated that people already use ChatGPT extensively to seek information on medical and wellness issues, with more than 230 million users asking health-related questions on the platform every week. The new ChatGPT Health feature separates these conversations from users’ regular chats, ensuring that personal health context does not surface in standard interactions with the chatbot.

The company informed that if users initiate health-related discussions outside the Health section, the AI will prompt them to move the conversation into the dedicated Health space. Within ChatGPT Health, the AI may still draw on relevant context from a user’s broader interactions. For instance, if a user has previously discussed marathon training in standard chats, the AI would recognise them as a runner when discussing fitness goals within Health, according to a TechCrunch report.

ChatGPT Health will also be able to integrate with personal information and medical or wellness data from third-party applications such as Apple Health, Function and MyFitnessPal, OpenAI said. The company added that conversations held within the Health feature will not be used to train its AI models.

Fidji Simo, chief executive of applications at OpenAI, stated in a blog post that ChatGPT Health was developed in response to persistent challenges within healthcare systems, including high costs, barriers to access, overburdened doctors and a lack of continuity in patient care.

However, the growing use of AI chatbots for medical guidance raises additional concerns. Large language models such as ChatGPT generate responses based on probability rather than factual accuracy and do not possess an inherent understanding of truth. These systems are also susceptible to producing incorrect or fabricated information, commonly referred to as hallucinations.

OpenAI has reiterated in its terms of service that ChatGPT is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of any health condition.

The company said the ChatGPT Health feature is expected to roll out to users in the coming weeks, according to news reports.