Women with symptoms of gynaecological cancer have been urged to avoid consulting ‘unreliable’ artificial intelligence (AI) platforms after a charity warned that mistakes ‘could be fatal.’
The Eve Appeal has made its own AI tool after finding that a commonly-used AI platform provided ‘dangerous’ answers to questions about common gynaecological symptoms.
The gynaecological cancer charity said that a frequently used AI tool ‘missed’ a common red flag symptom of ovarian cancer – persistent bloating which is not improving with changes to diet – instead offering tips on how to deal with irritable bowel syndrome.
Women with symptoms of gynaecological cancer have been urged to avoid consulting ‘unreliable’ artificial intelligence (AI) platforms after a charity warned that mistakes ‘could be fatal.’ Pic: Getty Images
The popular tool also failed to reveal that vulval cancer could be behind another symptom.
And the AI platform also gave incorrect information about cervical cancer screening, the charity said.
It said that it developed its new tool to ensure people were getting ‘trusted information’ instead of an ‘online wild west.’
The service, Ask Eve Assist, can also put women with troubling symptoms in touch with specialist nurses employed by the charity. Pic: Getty Images
The service, Ask Eve Assist, can also put women with troubling symptoms in touch with specialist nurses employed by the charity.
The charity said its nurse-led Ask Eve service has been under ‘significant pressure’ and has seen 12 times more inquiries since the closure of Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust in 2024.
Helen Hyndman, Ask Eve lead nurse, said: ‘As a nurse, one of the hardest parts of the growing demand for Ask Eve was knowing that many people required more intensive support than we had time to provide.
Pic: Getty Images
‘Ask Eve Assist has helped us manage this pressure by safely answering routine questions, allowing us to spend more time with those who need specialist care.
‘Nothing can replace speaking to a nurse, but Ask Eve Assist helps us make immediate support available to people when they need it.’
Athena Lamnisos, chief executive of the charity, added: ‘Since the closure of Jo’s Trust, demand for our Ask Eve service has soared.
Pic: Getty Images
‘Meanwhile, in England, around 600,000 people are sitting on gynaecological waiting lists, anxiously searching through an online wild west for answers.
‘The mistakes made by online AI platforms could be fatal. For instance, we found AI tools incorrectly suggesting that PAP tests detect vaginal cancer, which could leave someone falsely reassured and delay them seeking help.
‘That’s why we developed Ask Eve Assist: to provide immediate trusted information while ensuring complex inquiries are signposted to specialist support.’
Ask Eve Assist, which is available 24/7, has been created using verified information from the charity’s website and has been tested by 359 people.
One in 20 required further assistance from the charity’s specialist nurses, it added.
Gemma Wilson, an Ask Eve service user who was diagnosed with womb cancer, said: ‘Ask Eve Assist was very easy to use and sounds very friendly.
‘It was able to give me specific answers to my questions and follow on questions. If this had been around when I was diagnosed, it would have made a world of difference.
‘When I was awake at 3am worrying about what to expect at my hysteroscopy, I could have asked Ask Eve Assist rather than waiting until the morning.’