Using AI safely
You might hear people talking about AI in the groups, or you may have come across or used tools like ChatGPT, CoPilot or Gemini. AI responses are also displayed at the top of search results in web browsers, such as Google.
Some people find them helpful, others don’t use them at all. If it helps you feel a little clearer or more confident, that’s ok. If not, that’s absolutely fine, too.
We have seen the number of people using AI tools rise, so we wanted to share some tips about what to keep in mind when using it.
What is AI?
AI is a type of technology that can seem to ‘think’ a bit like a person. For example, it can understand words, spot patterns, or suggest answers. Unlike many other technologies, it can learn from information over time and change how it responds.
AI trawls data and the internet to look for answers. While it’s getting better at using quality sources like the NHS or charities, it may sometimes use inaccurate or poor quality information. It sometimes returns wrong information – but it’s very convincing in its responses, so it’s not obvious if something’s wrong. It can also take things out of context, and favours US sites which may not be relevant to the UK health system.
Some important things to remember:
- It doesn’t have feelings
- It doesn’t understand cancer or illness
- It doesn’t know your situation, worries or life experience
- It’s best thought of as a tool, not a person
When AI might be helpful
Some people use AI to:
- Help put thoughts into words
- Draft a question they want to ask a professional
- Organise notes or reminders
When AI isn’t helpful
Please don’t rely on AI to:
- Explain symptoms, test results or treatments
- Help you make medical decisions
- Help in an emergency or crisis
AI, heath information and accuracy
AI can sound confident, even when it’s wrong. It may give information that’s:
- Out of date
- Oversimplified
- Not right for your situation
- Taken out of context or misinterpreted
- Inaccurate or misleading. For example, we have seen both ChatGPT and Gemini say to avoid high fat and dairy if you have pancreatic cancer, which is the opposite of advice from dietitians
- Not applicable to the UK Healthcare system
If you’re using AI to look for health information, always check the sources to make sure they’re trustworthy, such as NHS, Pancreatic Cancer UK, Cancer Research UK, and Macmillan Cancer Support.
Keeping yourself and others safe
When using AI, please remember:
- Don’t share personal information
- This includes names, addresses, medical details/notes or anything that could identify you or someone else
- If you wouldn’t share it publicly, don’t type it in
- Don’t put Circles conversations/chats/images into AI tools
- If you are using ChatGPT, for example, without setting up an account, then it will potentially use anything you put in and use it in other responses without your knowledge
- Any unlicensed versions of AI tools will not be secure
- Remember that AI doesn’t follow the strict processes used to produce information that human health information producers follow
- Assume AI tools aren’t private spaces
If something is worrying you, it’s always better to talk to:
- Your healthcare team
- A trusted friend or family member
- Our nurses on the Support Line
