When Lauren Bannon, one 40-year-old woman wey dey US and mama of two pikin, start to dey struggle to bend her fingers, she know say somtin no dey right.

For February 2024, doctors talk say na rheumatoid arthritis dey worry her, even though her test results no confirm am. Her symptoms like morning and evening stiffness dey even worse. But months later, when she begin get serious stomach pain and lose weight fast, she decide say she go find second opinion.

Na so she turn to ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence chatbot wey OpenAI develop. Bannon, wey dey run marketing company and dey live between North Carolina and US Virgin Islands, ask the AI wetin fit dey mimic rheumatoid arthritis. ChatGPT suggest say e fit be Hashimoto’s disease, one autoimmune condition wey dey affect thyroid, and e even tell her the kind test wey she suppose do. That answer change her life.

“I need to know wetin dey happen to me, I just dey feel desperate. I no dey get the answers wey I need,” Bannon talk, as New York Post report am.

Even though her doctor no too believe, she insist make dem do the test for September 2024. The result confirm wetin the AI talk. That test lead to thyroid ultrasound wey show say two small lumps dey there. By October, doctors confirm say the lumps na cancer.

“If no be ChatGPT, I for just dey take rheumatoid arthritis medicine and the cancer for don spread go my neck and other parts of my body,” Bannon talk.

She believe say the AI insight na wetin save her life. “E save my life. I for no discover this thing without ChatGPT. All my tests dey okay.”

Even though she no get the usual fatigue wey dey follow Hashimoto’s, Bannon believe say AI help uncover condition wey for remain hidden. She later do surgery to remove her thyroid and two lymph nodes. Now she dey recover and doctors dey monitor her well well. She hope say her story go make people sabi how AI tools fit help patients advocate for their health.

But she still warn people make dem no use AI take replace medical care. “If e give you somtin to check, tell your doctor make dem test you,” she talk. “E no fit harm you. I dey feel lucky say I still dey alive.”

Use of AI for healthcare?

Experts agree say AI get role for modern medicine, but na only when dem use am join qualified medical advice. Dr. Harvey Castro, wey be emergency physician and national speaker on AI for medicine, believe say stories like Bannon own show wetin technology fit do, but e warn patients make dem dey careful.

“AI no fit replace human medical expertise,” he talk give Fox News Digital. “These tools fit assist, alert and even comfort, but dem no fit diagnose, examine or treat.”

“When dem use am well, AI fit improve healthcare outcomes, but if dem use am alone, e fit dey dangerous,” he add.

AI don already dey change healthcare. From transcribing notes to flagging abnormal scans, e dey make work easy and dey help diagnosis sharp well well.

Dr. Samir Kendale from Harvard Medical School talk say AI potential dey across different areas, e fit support clinical work but e no fit replace expertise. But e also point out say most doctors never learn how to use AI tools.

“AI no dey medical school until recently,” he talk. That gap fit cause poor implementation or make people too dey depend on am.

Dr. Maha Farhat from Massachusetts General Hospital talk say AI fit reduce diagnostic uncertainty and help personalise treatment, but na only if clinicians sabi how to use am well.