New research recently published in JAMA Internal Medicine reveals that language models, such as ChatGPT developed by OpenAI, are preferred over human physicians in answering health-related queries. Although AI assistants will not replace doctors, their integration into healthcare systems has the potential to revolutionize medicine. To conduct the study, researchers randomly selected 195 exchanges from the subreddit r/AskDocs, where a verified physician provided responses to public health-related questions. The researchers presented the original questions to ChatGPT and requested it to generate a response. A panel of three licensed healthcare professionals evaluated each question and its corresponding answer, without knowing whether it originated from a physician or ChatGPT. The results were striking: the panel preferred ChatGPT responses over physicians' responses 79% of the time. Furthermore, ChatGPT's responses were rated higher in terms of quality and empathy. Responses classified as "good" or "very good" in quality were 3. 6 times more frequent for ChatGPT compared to physicians. Similarly, responses categorized as "empathetic" or "very empathetic" were 9. 8 times higher for ChatGPT than for physicians. "The potential for AI to enhance healthcare is enormous, " stated Dr. Eric Ayers, one of the study's authors. "AI-augmented care represents the future of medicine. " By incorporating AI assistants like ChatGPT into healthcare systems, physicians could receive faster and more accurate responses, while patients could benefit from personalized and empathetic care.

This potential has attracted substantial investment from venture capital firms, with billions of dollars being allocated to AI. OpenAI, for instance, secured a $10 billion partnership deal with Microsoft Corp. earlier this year, while many top investments have been in companies focused on artificial intelligence. Retail investors are also participating, with platforms like Bioverge enabling anyone to invest in venture funds centered around healthcare technology. Additionally, the study highlights the potential of AI assistants to alleviate the burden on physicians. With doctors facing increasing workloads, AI assistants offer a means to manage the workload and provide better care to patients. According to Dr. Aaron Goodman, another co-author of the study, "ChatGPT is like a prescription I would give to my inbox. The tool will transform the way I support my patients. " While the study compared ChatGPT with physicians, the ideal approach is not to entirely replace doctors. As Dr. Adam Poliak, an assistant professor of computer science at Bryn Mawr College and study co-author, explained, "We still need physicians to make clinical decisions and manage care, but AI assistants like ChatGPT can provide support and enhance the quality of care patients receive. " This study offers a glimpse into the transformative potential of AI assistants, which, when working in harmony with doctors, can significantly improve patient care. To learn more about startup investing, visit Benzinga, where you can discover why everyday gamers and investors are investing millions in their side hustle and explore how they have invested over $1. 2 million in a particular startup.