Bill Ackman says ChatGPT cracked a mystery diagnosis doctors couldn't — should you talk to AI before seeing a physician?

Ackman, 60, told Shontell he’s consuming “close to zero” sugar and alcohol as part of his quest for greater longevity. He said he wants to be around for his family, particularly his 7-year-old daughter, who will be 27 when he’s 80.

But like other billionaires chasing longevity, Ackman wants to maintain his hold on power and influence. He pointed to 96-year-old billionaire investor Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, as a role model.

When it comes to better health, Ackman added that AI is a gamechanger, sharing an anecdote about a friend’s father who consulted ChatGPT when experts couldn’t diagnose his illness. Ackman said the AI model said the man might have an infectious disease — then physicians confirmed it.

“There’s no better doctor today, probably, than a frontier AI model,” Ackman said, adding, “I would go there first, and it’s cheaper and takes less work than going to see a doctor.”

Here’s a look at whether consulting with ChatGPT before seeing a doctor is cheaper, easier or advisable.

Pros of turning to AI for health advice

Ackman is one of millions who’ve converted to an AI-first model of health consultation. As of January, the dedicated platform ChatGPT Health had 40 million users. Even doctors are recommending it, according to NPR.

“There are no downsides to better understanding your health,” Dr. Adam Rodman said.

Rodman teaches at Harvard’s medical school and is director of AI programs there. He encourages patients to consult with AI before they see their doctors so they arrive better informed and able to advocate for themselves.

Dr. Robert Wachter chairs the medicine department at University of California—San Francisco. He wrote A Giant Leap: How AI Is Transforming Health Care and What That Means for Our Future.

He agrees with Ackman that turning to AI for health information is easier and cheaper than going to a doctor, particularly for those facing geographic or economic barriers.

“I encourage patients to use these tools,” he told NPR. “The advice you get from the tools is substantially better than nothing and better than what you would get from your second cousin.”

A Harvard study even suggests that the answers people get from AI chatbots may be more empathetic than those from a physician. But neither Rodman nor Wachter recommend using AI to the exclusion of human doctors.

Risks of using AI for medical advice

A February study suggests that people who turn to AI for health advice may make poor decisions. Researchers set up an experiment where they gave study participants hypothetical symptoms and then asked the participants to consult with AI to figure out what condition they might have based on those symptoms.