AI's preference for drugs with a strong online presence may cost millions

AI Summary

A study found that large language models may favor treatments with stronger online visibility, potentially steering patients toward costlier options. The findings raise concerns about bias and increased healthcare spending when AI-generated recommendations are used in practice.

Large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT and Claude, are increasingly being used to provide health information to the public. Although this is beneficial for improving access to treatment information, their limitations were revealed by a new study that found LLMs were biased in their treatment choices and that using these outputs in practice could drive up treatment costs.