By Emma Levett
Publication Date: 2026-03-01 04:00:00
An Australian cancer surgeon is warning people against using AI tools like ChatGPT to diagnose health symptoms after tests showed the chatbot suggested delaying medical treatment for a possible sign of breast cancer.
Sanjay Warrier, University of Sydney Associate Professor at the Royal Prince Alfred Academic Institute, said Yahoo Lifestyle The advice could be dangerous because some aggressive cancers progress within weeks and delayed treatment can pose a risk of life or death.
“Some of my smarter patients used AI,” Warrier said.
“So I asked a question on ChatGPT about breast redness and was advised to wait a few weeks to see if the redness improves.
“Some types of cancer are so aggressive that a few weeks can mean the difference between life and death.”
Warrier said Australians’ growing reliance on ChatGPT indicates the start of a worrying trend that may make artificial intelligence “dangerous”.
“ChatGPT is not a health service,” said the council member for…
