60-Year-Old Man Develops 19th-Century Illness After Taking ChatGPT Diet Tips; WHO Warns AI Misinformation Risks

After a 60-year-old man became ill following ChatGPT diet tips, internet users were alarmed. Cristiana Salvi, Adviser for Risk Communication, WHO, previously stated, 'Innovation should never come at the cost of trust or safety.'

What seemed to be a simple health experiment for a 60-year-old man looking to reduce his table salt (sodium chloride) intake turned ugly after he sought ChatGPT diet tips. The event spiralled into a three-week hospital stay after poisoning himself based on dietary advice from ChatGPT, which led to hallucinations.

60-Year-Old Man Consumed Sodium Bromide For 3 Months

The case study was published on August 5 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, an academic journal, where it also states that although doctors were unable to review the original AI chat logs and that the bot likely suggested the substitution for another purpose, such as cleaning, the man purchased sodium bromide and used it in place of table salt for three months.

As a result, he landed up in the emergency department expressing concern and even convinced that his neighbour was poisoning him.

The study states, "A 60-year-old man with no past psychiatric or medical history presented to the emergency department expressing concern that his neighbour was poisoning him. He initially did not report taking any medications, including supplements. His vital signs and physical examination, including neurologic examination, were normal.

"The initial laboratory evaluation was notable for hyperchloremia (126 mmol/L; normal range, 98 to 108), a negative anion gap ( 21 mEq/L), and a low phosphate level (<1 mg/dL; normal range, 2.5 to 4.5). His bicarbonate level was elevated (36 mEq/L), and his venous blood gas test revealed a compensated respiratory acidosis and metabolic alkalosis (pH, 7.35; Pco 2, 64 mm Hg; PO2, 23 mm Hg; bicarbonate, 35 mEq/L). Sodium (141 mEq), creatinine (0.97 mg/dL), urine drug screen, and blood alcohol levels were normal (Table 1). He was admitted to a medical telemetry bed for electrolyte monitoring and repletion."

AI Misinformation Risks

"We have seen how rapidly false information can spread in emergencies and impact people's lives. This is one of the major challenges of our times. AI has the potential to help address this effectively by identifying harmful narratives early and targeting relevant and accurate information to diverse audiences. But while the results of this study are encouraging, they are also a reminder to proceed with caution. Innovation should never come at the cost of trust or safety," said Cristiana Salvi, Regional Adviser for Risk Communication, Community Engagement and Infodemic Management, Health Emergencies at WHO/Europe.

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