Should you trust health advice from an AI chatbot?

Should you trust health advice from an AI chatbot?

From What in the World by BBC World Service

April 22, 2026 · 10 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the reliability of health advice from AI chatbots and features insights from experts and young users.

People frequently turn to AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini and Grok for health advice. Some people argue that using them is similar to an Internet search. But some experts say that chatbots are getting things dangerously wrong. James Gallagher, the BBC’s Health Correspondent, explains how chatbots work, what the risks are and how the technology is evolving. We also hear from young people about how and when they seek advice from chatbots. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams, Santiago Vanegas Maldonado and Benita Barden Editor: Harriet Oliver

People in this episode

Host: Hannah Gelbart

Topics covered

  • AI chatbots
  • health advice
  • technology risks
  • youth perspectives
  • evolution of technology

Keywords

  • AI chatbots
  • health advice
  • ChatGPT
  • Gemini
  • Grok
  • technology risks
  • youth
  • expert opinions

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BBC, ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok

More episodes of What in the World

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the What in the World podcast page.