Important Reminder: Avoid Uploading Medical Images to AI Chatbots

Here’s an important reminder for those considering using AI chatbots for medical inquiries: think carefully before uploading your private medical images.

Many individuals now turn to generative AI chatbots, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, for insights regarding their health concerns. Some have even started using dubious applications that employ AI to assess medical conditions based on images, such as those involving sensitive areas. Recently, users on the social media platform X have been urged to provide their X-rays, MRIs, and PET scans to Grok, X’s AI chatbot, for results interpretation.

Medical data is subject to federal protections, typically allowing individuals to choose how their data is used. However, just because uploading your medical images is possible doesn’t mean it’s wise. Security and privacy experts stress that sharing sensitive information can contribute to training AI models, thereby risking exposure of your private medical details.

Generative AI models often learn from the data they receive. While users might hope that sharing their medical images would lead to better AI performance, the uses of this data, as well as who has access to it, remain opaque. Trust in the companies operating these models is largely based on their word.

There have been instances where individuals discovered their own private medical records in AI training datasets, suggesting that such information could potentially be accessed by others, including healthcare providers and future employers. Furthermore, many consumer applications fall outside the protection of the U.S. healthcare privacy law known as HIPAA, leaving uploaded data unguarded.

Elon Musk, the owner of X, has encouraged users to upload their medical imagery to Grok, acknowledging that the AI’s capabilities are still developing but suggesting that such contributions will improve its accuracy over time. However, access to data shared with Grok is uncertain. The chatbot’s privacy policy notes that X might share personal information with an unspecified number of related companies, raising further concerns about data privacy.

Ultimately, it’s crucial to remember that information shared online can persist indefinitely.

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