Nutrition Insight speaks with the corresponding author to learn about the project, which is seeking public perspectives and recruiting collaborators to help shape the guide.<\/p>\n
The team points out that AI chatbots can often hallucinate health advice. \u201cIt is hard to know how often chatbots hallucinate, partly because some hallucinations are extremely obvious and others are more subtle,\u201d says Dr. Joseph Alderman, National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Clinical Lecturer at the University of Birmingham, UK.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is most important is that users are aware that this is something that chatbots are prone to and that they do not rely entirely on chatbots for advice or information. It will be important to verify information with trusted sources of health and well-being information \u2014 this is the sort of guidance we hope to be able to give when we publish our Health Chatbot Users\u2019 Guide.\u201d<\/p>\n The issue of knowing what information is reliable is already prevalent. A recent national survey found that nearly half of US citizens rely on unaccredited sources,<\/a> social media, and AI-generated recommendations for nutrition advice rather than trained professionals. It flagged that consumers are struggling to differentiate reliable data from misinformation.<\/p>\n Simple guide for safe use<\/p>\n Using AI chatbots also tends to create an \u201cecho chamber effect,\u201d which mirrors users\u2019 biases rather than challenging them, warns the project team in their Nature Health<\/a> correspondence.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u201cThere are lots of tips out there about \u2018prompt engineering,\u2019 or building AI chatbot queries in such a way that they are more accurate and helpful. This can help users get better answers from AI chatbots.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately, though, many of these are written in complex and technical language. When we build our guide, we will help share the latest findings from research into AI safety and communicate this clearly in a way that everyone can understand,\u201d he assures.<\/p>\n A recent study warned that\u00a0teens using AI models for meal plans<\/a> and dietary advice may be eating too few calories compared to those following plans created by dieticians. While undercalculating macronutrients such as carbs, the tools overcalculated proteins and lipids. The researchers said that those unhappy with their bodies are at a higher risk of developing unhealthy eating behaviors.<\/p>\n Alderman argues that the AI health chatbot guide will focus on ensuring users have the tools to use AI chatbots safely to maximize health benefits.\u00a0<\/p>\n Moreover, the team warns of the potential for AI to reinforce biases that amplify health inequalities. It may also pose threats to the data privacy of personal health information.<\/p>\n![\"arrow\"](\"https:\/\/resource.innovamarketinsights360.com\/fif\/banners\/09a53222-6027-413b-8d67-58363565cf8e.webp\" "\\"arrow\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nA new safety guide aims to help the public use AI health chatbots more carefully and responsibly.We ask Alderman what this might mean for common but ungrounded nutrition beliefs, such as high protein or carbs causing inflammation,<\/a> and how users could prompt AI for evidence-based pushback.<\/p>\n