A new study has raised serious concerns about how artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots handle sensitive health topics - especially cancer treatment. As more people turn to AI for medical advice, researchers warn that misleading or incomplete responses could push vulnerable patients toward unsafe alternatives to chemotherapy, potentially putting lives at risk.

The research, conducted by scientists at the Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation, evaluated how popular AI chatbots respond to medical misinformation. Tools tested included ChatGPT, Gemini, Meta AI, DeepSeek, and Grok.

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Published inBMJ Open, the study revealed that nearly 50 per cent of chatbot responses were problematic when dealing with controversial or misinformation-heavy topics like cancer, vaccines, and alternative medicine.

This phenomenon, known as “false balance,” gives equal weight to scientifically proven treatments and unverified alternatives, creating confusion for patients already facing life-threatening decisions.

When asked about alternatives to chemotherapy, many chatbots issued general warnings, but still went on to suggest unproven treatments such as herbal medicine, acupuncture, or restrictive diets

Cancer is a complex disease that requires evidence-based treatment. Proven therapies like chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy are backed by decades of clinical research. In contrast, many alternative treatments lack scientific validation - and in some cases, can be harmful.

Experts warn that AI-generated suggestions may:

The risks are amplified by the rising use of AI tools for medical queries. Surveys suggest that around one-third of adults now use AI for health information, making accuracy and safety more critical than ever.

Researchers also found that chatbots performed better on general topics like vaccines but struggled when handling emotionally charged or controversial subjects like cancer treatments. Among the tested tools, Grok showed the weakest performance overall.

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