In Jiangsu, China, a patient was alarmed when their elderly relative's doctor consulted an AI app called “Doubao” to look up medication information during an outpatient consultation. The patient and their family were hesitant to use the doctor's prescription, questioning the safety of the drug and the accountability if something went wrong. While some internet users found the incident somewhat trivial, noting that using an AI to check medical information is not inappropriate for professionals, others expressed concern about the lack of legal recourse if there were any issues with the medication. Doubao is a popular AI app among pharmaceutical professionals in China for drug information lookup. However, according to rules set by China's National Health Commission, doctors in Jiangsu are not allowed to use AI to generate prescriptions automatically; AI can only serve as a clinical assistant. The healthcare provider insisted on retaining ultimate responsibility for the prescriptions.
Several netizens have criticized the situation, highlighting that while seeking medical advice through AI is acceptable, the doctor's decision to use an AI app during a consultation still raises questions about safety and accountability. There were also discussions about the potential limitations of AI in healthcare, particularly regarding the accuracy of information provided by these apps.