A California woman faced an unexpected surprise after receiving her hospital discharge papers and discovering that they were written by ChatGPT, prompting outrage online.
The woman, identified as Tara, shared a video explaining that she had gone to the hospital and received what was supposed to be her at-home treatment plan and discharge paperwork. She then held up the documents she had been given, identifying the facility in a comment as allegedly Burbank Urgent Care. The paperwork reportedly turned out to be written by ChatGPT.
“I think we’re cooked,” Tara said before showing that the paperwork consisted of printed ChatGPT responses. The documents also included what appeared to be previous chat prompts, with labels such as “Emergency Consultation format,” “Medical Spanish Interpreter,” and “Aftercare Instruction Request.”
Tara explained that she was “medically complex.” She also had a rare genetic disorder, along with other conditions. All of this could make standard treatment plans ineffective and potentially dangerous or even life-threatening. She stressed that her medical needs required professional attention rather than advice generated by ChatGPT.
“It’s a better idea for me to go see an actual doctor who, you know, went to college for 12 or so years to make sure everything’s okay and put me on the right course,” Tara said. She described the current state of the world as “dystopian.”
Tara claimed that following the ChatGPT-generated instructions could have seriously harmed her. “*They are discharge instructions that, had I blindly followed, would have likely ended up in bowel perforation given my history, genetic disorder, scar tissue and previous surgeries **source: other doctors who I asked,” she wrote in the caption. She later shared another video explaining the medical risks involved. “I’m glad I’m not an idiot,” Tara said, referring to her decision not to follow the instructions. It remains unclear whether she plans to take legal action.
Viewers Outraged After California Woman Receives Paper from ChatGPT
Many viewers online were outraged after learning that the California woman had received discharge papers allegedly written by ChatGPT. Several encouraged Tara to seek legal advice and report the incident. “Begging u to speak with a lawyer,” one person wrote. Another, who identified themselves as a nurse, expressed disbelief, saying, “nurse here and i’m floored. They didn’t even put it into a document. Oh my god. Please report this because this is NOT the medical standard or law. I’m so serious, this is not okay.”
Other viewers continued expressing concern over the situation. One advised Tara not to pay for the treatment if the paperwork had been generated by AI rather than prepared by a doctor. “So if ChatGPT wrote your treatment plan and not the doctor, I would not be paying any part of that bill, even if it’s just a copay,” the person wrote. Another shared their experience working in medical technology, saying, “I work in radiology IT. Pretty much all diagnostic imaging reports are AI generated at this point, including findings.”
The incident raised concerns about the use of AI in medical settings. This is particularly when it comes to providing patients with treatment plans and discharge instructions. It also highlighted the potential risks of hospitals relying on ChatGPT-generated medical documents without proper review by qualified healthcare professionals.
