Man Nearly Poisons Himself Following ChatGPT's Advice To Remove Salt From Diet

A 60-year-old man was hospitalised after he asked ChatGPT how to remove salt (sodium chloride) from his diet, having read about the negative health effects of table salt. After consulting the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, the man made a dietary change and removed salt from his lifestyle and replaced it with sodium bromide, a substance once commonly used in medications in the early 1900s, but now known to be toxic in large quantities.

According to the case report published in the American College of Physicians Journals, the patient had been using sodium bromide for three months, which he had sourced online after seeking advice from AI. However, after developing health issues, the man was hospitalised, where he claimed that his neighbour was poisoning him.

Initially, the man did not report taking any medications, including supplements, but upon admission, he revealed that he maintained dietary restrictions and that he distilled his own water at home. During the course of the hospitalisations, he developed severe neuropsychiatric symptoms, including paranoia and hallucinations, along with dermatological issues.

"He was noted to be very thirsty but paranoid about water he was offered," the case report read, adding that he was treated with fluids and electrolytes and became medically stable, allowing him to be admitted to the hospital's inpatient psychiatry unit.

The report highlighted that the patient had developed bromism after asking ChatGPT for advice on his diet.

"He had replaced sodium chloride with sodium bromide obtained from the internet after consultation with ChatGPT, in which he had read that chloride can be swapped with bromide, though likely for other purposes, such as cleaning," the report highlighted.

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AI for health advice?

In the olden times, bromide salts were found in many over-the-counter medications to treat insomnia, hysteria and anxiety. However, ingesting too much can have severe health consequences

The case report warns that AI systems like ChatGPT can generate inaccuracies and spread misinformation, a point echoed by OpenAI's own terms of use.

While much of the debate has been about AI chatbots being used for therapy and mental health, the case shows that the technology is not able to correctly guide users about their physical health, either.