The recent rollout of ChatGPT Health in Australia has prompted growing concern among healthcare experts who argue the artificial intelligence platform is entering a sensitive space without appropriate oversight, leaving consumers vulnerable to misinformation and safety risks.

OpenAI’s ChatGPT Health, designed to integrate users’ medical records and wellness data to provide personalised health information, is accessible to Australians via a waitlist and is being promoted as a tool to help people interpret test results, understand wellness options and prepare for clinical consultations.

OpenAI states that the platform is intended to support, not replace, professional care, and includes enhanced privacy and security measures.

However, critics stress that such assurances are not a substitute for robust regulatory frameworks tailored to AI services handling sensitive health information.

Australian and international specialists have highlighted cases where generative AI systems like ChatGPT have produced confident-sounding yet potentially inaccurate medical information, underscoring the difficulty many users face in distinguishing general guidance from medically sound advice.

This blurred boundary between informational support and clinical recommendation has been identified as a central concern, especially given the absence of published safety testing specific to ChatGPT Health and the fact that it is not classified as a regulated medical device in Australia.

Experts caution that such gaps could allow harmful advice to propagate, particularly among vulnerable groups who may lack the education or resources to critically evaluate AI outputs.

Calls for clear guardrails, transparent evaluation data and enhanced consumer education have intensified as AI tools become more prevalent in healthcare contexts.

Healthcare professionals have also pointed out broader regulatory and legal challenges, including privacy protections under national law, obligations around sensitive health data, and the need for formal frameworks to govern AI applications that interact with patient information.

While AI holds promise to augment clinical workflows and improve access to health insights, observers argue that without national regulations and standards for safety and performance, the rapid introduction of tools like ChatGPT Health risks outpacing the ability of governments and clinicians to safeguard public welfare.

The debate continues as stakeholders advocate for stronger oversight to ensure that technological innovation in health aligns with patient safety and ethical care practices.