Error by AI scribe during medical appointment leaves patient devastated
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An error in Rebecca Green's medical records falsely claimed she had taken psychedelic mushrooms. ( ABC News: Madeline Grace )
When Rebecca Green arrived for her first appointment with a urologist, she was asked whether she consented to having the appointment transcribed by artificial intelligence (AI).
"I don't want to be in her bad books or be that annoying patient who takes up more of her time," she said.
But that decision would cause her a lot of stress, with the AI scribe making up the serious but false claim that Ms Green was taking illegal drugs.
New research by a privacy watchdog has raised serious concerns about AI being used in medical settings due to its propensity to "hallucinate" false symptoms or conditions, and warned patients were at risk.
Ms Green only picked up the mistake after her kidney stone surgery in March, when she read the post-operative letter her specialist sent to her GP.