Nigerian Woman Alleges Doctors Use ChatGPT for Patient Diagnoses in Hospitals

A Nigerian woman, Toluwanimi Blessing Ibitoye-Fatola, has brought forth a concerning observation she describes as a widespread issue in the nation's healthcare facilities. Ms. Ibitoye-Fatola claims to have witnessed medical professionals inputting patient complaints into the artificial intelligence tool, ChatGPT, and subsequently formulating diagnoses based on the AI's responses.

Following her viral post, several medical doctors offered their perspectives, explaining that a doctor typing on a device during a consultation does not necessarily indicate the use of AI for diagnosis. They clarified that such actions often involve inputting patient information into an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system, which is a standard practice in modern healthcare.

However, Ms. Ibitoye-Fatola stood firm on her initial assertion. She later edited her post to provide further detail, stating: "Mind you, this isn't EMR, there is a large screen right in front of the doctor which has all the patient details and then keeps looking and typing repeatedly on his phone alongside the screen..." Her revised statement emphasizes a distinction between the typical use of EMR systems and the specific activity she claims to have observed.