WASHINGTON — With hundreds of millions of people turning to chatbots for advice, it was only a matter of time before tech companies began offering programs specifically designed to answer health questions.
In January, OpenAI introduced ChatGPT Health, a new version of its chatbot that the company says can analyze users’ medical records, wellness apps and wearable device data to answer health and medical questions. Currently, there’s a waiting list for the program. Anthropic, a rival AI company, offers similar features for some users of its Claude chatbot.
Both companies say their programs, known as large language models, aren’t a substitute for professional care and shouldn’t be used to diagnose medical conditions. Instead, they say the chatbots can summarize and explain complicated test results, help prepare for a…