‘Powerful tool’: AI beats doctors in wild medical showdown in China
Teams of masked doctors have gone head-to-head with AI in an extraordinary live showdown in China.
AI has defeated a group of Chinese doctors, taking just a fraction of the time to diagnose the same medical condition, in an extraordinary live showdown in Shanghai, Chinese state media reports.
Four chief physicians from top hospitals in Shanghai went head-to-head with two AI systems to diagnose a complex gastrointestinal case at the Pujiang Medical AI Conference for the first Shanghai Medical AI Skills Competition last week, according to the ShanghaiEye, an outlet owned by the Shanghai Media Group, which is overseen by the Chinese Communist Party.
During the showdown, the physicians, whose identities were concealed by animal masks, split into two teams to face off live against China’s ‘Gastrointestinal Multimodal AI’ and an international AI model, the outlet reports.
China’s model, which was built this year by Shanghai AI Lab and local hospitals, has been trained on 30,000 real cases and has the ability to read endoscopy and CT scans.
In a jaw-dropping display of the power of AI, both models reportedly delivered their diagnoses in under two seconds, while the teams of doctors reportedly took about 13 minutes.
According to ShanghaiEye, the Chinese-built AI system matched the physicians’ diagnosis and treatment. But “the foreign AI fell slightly short in diagnostic accuracy”, the state media outlet added.
“Through this real-world demonstration, we can see that future large models will undoubtedly play a valuable role in training our diagnostic and treatment skills and enhancing our overall capabilities,” Luo Megn, the deputy director of Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, said.
“Of course, our goal is not to make AI models stronger for their own sake, but to use these powerful tools to make our doctors stronger.”
AI trend on the rise among Aussies
It comes as more everyday Australians are turning to AI platforms like ChatGPT for health advice.
A University of Sydney study, conducted in June 2024, found that about one in 10 Australians use ChatGPT for health-related questions.
The study found the most common questions Aussies ask related to learning about a specific health condition (48 per cent), finding out what symptoms mean (37 per cent), finding actions to take (36 per cent), and understanding medical terms (35 per cent).
It also found 61 per cent had asked ChatGPT at least one question related to taking action that would typically require advice from a clinician.
Many Aussies are also turning to the chatbot as a therapist, sharing their deepest secrets in place of a registered psychologist.
About 20 per cent of TikTok users have admitted to using AI for therapy, according to a study published this year.
“We know many people are using them, usually due to barriers such as cost, stigma or access,” clinical psychologist Katie Kjelsaas told NewsWire.
“AI platforms are accessible, immediate and anonymous – the ease and privacy of access may result in many people giving them a try as an alternative to therapy without fully considering the implications of this.”
While it may seem like a cheap and quick fix to seeing a registered therapist, AI platforms like ChatGPT have a long list of downsides.
“AI platforms may be able to offer general advice in some cases (although we know they also frequently make significant errors when doing this), but they cannot diagnose, formulate or personalise treatment the way a psychologist can,” Dr Kjelsaas said.
“You do not see a doctor to have them regurgitate information about your symptoms. You see a doctor to have them sort, synthesise and personalise the relevant information about your symptoms to you so they can apply this in a way that supports your healing.
OpenAI - which owns ChatGPT - agrees, warning the platform “is not a substitute for professional care and does not provide medical, psychiatric, or crisis intervention advice”.
“Users are encouraged to use it as a tool for general information or supportive conversation but not for diagnosis or treatment,” it told NewsWire.
- With NCA NewsWire
Originally published as ‘Powerful tool’: AI beats doctors in wild medical showdown in China
