Don't Trust AI for Medical Advice

End-of-lesson check

15 questions · take it digitally for instant feedback at tendril.neural-forge.io/learn/quiz/end-explorers-ethics-AI-isnt-a-doctor

1. You have a stomach ache. What should you do?

   1. Ask AI what is wrong with you
   2. Search for your symptoms online and self-diagnose
   3. Tell a trusted adult and see a doctor if needed
   4. Wait and see if AI's recommendation helps

2. Why can AI not give you a safe medical diagnosis for your specific symptoms?

   1. AI doesn't have access to medical textbooks
   2. AI doesn't know your specific body, medical history, medications, or current condition — a doctor examines all of these
   3. AI is not allowed to discuss health topics
   4. Medical databases are too large for AI to process

3. AI gives you a detailed, confident explanation of what is causing your headache. What is the most important thing to understand about this response?

   1. The more detailed the answer, the more likely it's right
   2. Confident and detailed AI answers about health are still based on statistical patterns, not your specific situation — they could be completely wrong for you
   3. AI headache explanations are usually accurate for children
   4. You should follow the AI's recommendation unless you feel worse

4. What is one thing it IS appropriate to use AI for when it comes to health topics?

   1. Deciding whether to take medication
   2. Figuring out whether to go to the doctor
   3. Understanding what a medical term means
   4. Getting a second opinion on a doctor's diagnosis

5. Two people with the exact same symptom could have completely different underlying causes. What does this mean for AI health advice?

   1. AI should give both people the same answer since the symptoms are the same
   2. AI cannot safely determine which cause applies to you — a real doctor uses examination and history to figure this out
   3. Symptoms are not important for diagnosis
   4. AI is better at diagnosis than doctors for common symptoms

6. Acting on AI health advice as if it were a real diagnosis can cause what kind of harm?

   1. No harm — AI health advice is always conservative
   2. Delayed access to real care, wrong treatments, or ignoring serious conditions that need urgent attention
   3. Only minor harm in the worst cases
   4. Harm to the AI company but not to the user

7. A friend says 'I asked AI and it said I definitely have a cold, not anything serious.' What concern does this raise?

   1. None — AI cold diagnoses are usually correct
   2. AI cannot definitively rule out serious conditions without an examination — 'definitely' is not a word AI can use accurately about your health
   3. The concern is that AI doesn't know the difference between a cold and the flu
   4. The concern is only if the symptoms are unusual

8. Why is it especially important for children to go to a real doctor rather than relying on AI for health questions?

   1. Children use the internet less responsibly than adults
   2. Children's bodies are still developing — health conditions and appropriate treatments often differ from adult norms in ways AI may not account for
   3. AI is programmed to give adult health information only
   4. Children's health questions are too simple for AI

9. What does 'statistical health information' mean and why is it insufficient for personal medical decisions?

   1. Statistics are always wrong so they should be ignored
   2. Statistical information describes what is true for most people on average — it may not apply to your specific situation at all
   3. Statistical information is only used by researchers
   4. Statistics are more accurate than doctor opinions

10. You feel scared about a health symptom and want to ask AI to calm your fears. What is the risk?

    1. No risk — AI is good at reassuring people
    2. AI might calm your fear with incorrect information, causing you to delay seeking care you actually need
    3. AI will always make you more scared
    4. The risk is only to your internet data

11. What is the correct answer if AI asks you about your symptoms and then says 'Based on what you told me, you have X'?

    1. Accept it — AI processed your answers accurately
    2. This is a diagnosis, which AI cannot safely give — treat this as a possibility to discuss with a doctor, not a conclusion
    3. Accept it only if the diagnosis sounds familiar
    4. Accept it only if AI sounds very confident

12. Using AI to understand what 'inflammation' means before a doctor's appointment is:

    1. Dangerous — you should not research anything before seeing a doctor
    2. Appropriate — using AI to understand medical vocabulary helps you have a better conversation with your doctor
    3. Appropriate only if the doctor recommended it
    4. Dangerous because it might change what you tell the doctor

13. Your friend takes medication and asks AI whether they should increase the dose because they don't feel better. What is the safest advice to give them?

    1. Tell them to follow AI's recommendation
    2. Tell them to check multiple AI tools and go with the consensus
    3. Tell them to contact their doctor or pharmacist — medication decisions should never be based on AI advice
    4. Tell them to stop taking the medication and rest

14. In an emergency — someone is seriously hurt or sick — what is the first thing to do?

    1. Ask AI what to do first
    2. Search online for first aid instructions
    3. Call for emergency help or get a trusted adult immediately
    4. Check if the symptoms match a serious condition before acting

15. The rule for using AI with health questions is best summarized as:

    1. Never use AI for anything health-related
    2. AI can help you understand medical terms and general conditions — but it cannot safely tell you what is wrong with you or what to do about your specific symptoms
    3. Always check AI before seeing a doctor to prepare your questions
    4. Use AI for minor health questions and doctors only for serious ones