Capabilities and limitations of ChatGPT in providing nutrition-related health information
General Medicine, 2024, 26(6), 9-15.
R. Stoyanova1, G. Petrov2
1 Department of Health Management and Health Economics, Faculty of Public Health, MU – Plovdiv
2 Department of Urology and General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, MU – Plovdiv
Abstract. The report presents a critical analysis of the capabilities and limitations of ChatGPT as a tool for providing health information related to nutrition for healthy individuals or those with chronic diseases. A systematic review and critical analysis of current developments using an expert approach to investigate the capabilities and limitations of ChatGPT for delivering safe health information related to nutrition and dietary regimens were performed. The results show that ChatGPT demonstrates significant potential for providing immediate and adequate general information related to food and nutrition, offering personalized solutions to dietary issues. However, in more complex and specific cases, it makes serious errors. This is mainly due to limitations in integrating the latest scientific findings during its training and the possibility of being trained from external sources offering questionable and unverified information. In conclusion, the need for future development and improvement of the system is emphasized to ensure its optimal effectiveness, usefulness, and safety for users. Additionally, consulting qualified professionals should not be overlooked, especially when it comes to specific dietary needs related to health issues.
Key words: ChatGPT, nutrition, dietary advice, healthy diet
Address for correspondence: Assoc. Prof. Rumyana Stoyanova, PhD, e-mail: rumi_stoqnova@abv.bg