Less hallucination, more shrieking fever dream

8 minute read


When AI scribes go off the deep end.


We’re all well aware now of the potential for large language models to make mistakes, “hallucinate” or spew gibberish in response to some questions.

Any answer is better than no answer, seems to be their face-saving default.

The risk is just as present in AI scribes, and the consequent need to check all output should curb some of the enthusiasm around the use of this tech in general practice and medicine generally.

Check those consult notes carefully or expose yourself to all sorts of clinical and medicolegal risks: “It will not be a defence to say that it was produced by an AI scribe,” as senior Avant solicitor Tracy Pickett has warned.

But while there’s a dangerous tendency for scribes to record subtle errors – a diabetes doctor told the Back Page hers gets hypo/hyperglycaemia wrong all the time – they can also go howling batshit bonkers.

A Sydney GP and friend of the show sent us his first attempt using Heidi Health with a patient. Here is the transcript of the consult with only line breaks added to enhance its tone-poem quality.

*

Good morning.

I’m good. I’m good. Sorry. I’ll just plug in my system here.

Coenoxia. I’m in lymphoma.  I wonder if I can get a shock.

Is Spamolac cancer cells and cancerous pneumonia? Lactubiclates in extra harm, fever, heart attack, and ear.

I don’t know if I can’t see I I’m sorry. I’m having an oral I have a I found 4 I found 4 and 4 and 4 and 1 day triphosphate.

Okay. I can’t I’ve got a clear I’ve got a clear I’m a I’m a I’m a let me talk about it.

Should I be should I be should I be working with a working with a work? Your question is, you know, what virus has been on a previous block when it was 4 cone fractures. 1 second. I

It should be a separate

I can’t get to my heart.

I have a headache. I have a headache. I have a headache. I have a headache. I have a headache. I have a headache. I have a headache. I

Okay. Sausage catheter’s cat.

So there’s some cancer. Can I turn how many true acid cancer? Can I try to avoid cancer? And then rocovea. Yes.

When I turn as for my discomfort, it’s a can we extreme. I’m in a long time. I try some therapy. I’m trying to get I’m trying to look at septumaxone. Where do I transfer?

Is fibatrol rather aproliferative

I tried to get my 4 hour bad things. I have a really nice experience of life. I had depression in my body. I had a pleasure for sister I was trying to help with this.

I tried to spread the word financial for a couple of different treatments. I was trying to explain. I water and breastfed. I was about to use for access to oxygen. I have a blast tower and sensory deprivation I’m

Oh, I’m a blast.

I’m trying to get a point of view. I’ve always tried to latch on this and try to make a bit. But I’ve got a lot of headache. My My birthright is my son. I’m not sure it’s for real bad. Let me see. I have a bad I think I have a bad habit. I don’t know. I’ve been working for a while.

I’m trans. I have a place.

It’s an infection. Okay. How it works? I’ve been extra and the silver. It’s the acidity of the thyroid. Yes.

It’s a methylation. I’m not finding it. I’ve asked for a while. I’ve been wanting to surgeries.

I I have a heart attack. I have a heart attack. I have a heart attack. I can’t I can’t see it. Here.

What are the I feel like I feel like I feel like I feel like I feel like I feel like I feel like I feel like I feel like I should have been having a good time for how it affects me. I have I have the vaccine. I’m sorry. I can’t remember how I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.

I have had a you are urine. I have had you are you are fine. I have a heavy lipophilia. Yeah. I does I have a war a year old, but I stopped trying to get a fever. I

I’m watching your ear canal. I’m trying to form a cell phone.

What should I do for? Yeah. It’s it’s trauma birth. Our first session should be a factor for birth. I believe it’s a bad thing.

Trypton tripe cancer.

1 of the big ones is vaccine.

If I have a for example, I’ve been having trouble. I said I’m trying to get rid of my I’m trying to get rid of my I’m trying to get rid of my I have a vaccine with allergies. That’s that’s I have a cancer 29 year.

My sex with a fever. The it’s a good fit. I have a. I have a. I have a. I have a. I have a. I have a. I have a. I have a. I have

AII see a few extra extra I mean, I feel bad. I’m not sure. Would stop. Or for the necessary or duct protection, but let’s say that how ever makes sense for your side urinary hyperposition.

Is it better? Effects. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. Just just just for this. It’s 6 06:04. I’m open to Novo.

 I have a I’ve been trying to help detect the crack in my form. It doesn’t essential amino acid. It’s I do ever have a

I’ve had a rash I’ve had a rash I’ve had a rash I’ve had a rash I’ve had a rash I’ve had a rash I’ve had a rash I’ve had a rash I’ve had a rash I’ve had a rash I’ve had a rash I’ve had a rash I’ve had a rash I’ve had a rash I’ve had a rash I’ve had a rash I’ve had a rash I’ve had a rash I’ve had a by a little bit.

I have a little bit of a that’s why I have a little bit of a cancer. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I’ve had symptoms. I’ve had a stroke of sad. I’ve been oh, it’s yes. Yes. I have a 1 thing. I see. I found larceny peptide.

Blood

What’s my last signs of I’m gonna try my sleep and less heavy. Thrometh fluidized serum. I have a I’ve had a I have a fever. I’m just super sore, but I’m I’m still having a fever. I show chlamydia, I know I’ve got a feverish ear over a lot of emotion and nausea. I know I’ve got some It’s isn’t coming in, you wouldn’t be able to see it. I have a symptom of blood pressure. I have a seizure. I have a seizure. I have a seizure. If I have a second, it’s 4. Let’s try. Just a minute. I don’t know.

Is this stimulant uptake hip pain or is it? I haven’t heard earlier when I was at 05:00. I’m a lot I’m a rheumatoid arthritis around I have a fever effect of 10 years of age.

I have a bad day. I have a bad day. I have a bad day. I have a bad day. I have a bad day. I have a bad day. I have a bad day. I have a bad day. I have a bad day. I have a bad day. I have a bad day. I have a bad day. I have a bad day. I have a bad day. I have a bad day. I have a bad day. I have a bad day. I have a bad day. I have a bad day. I have a bad day. I have a bad day. I have a

So how we hope how cetoprazole varsatilifol how are we going to help? So how does it work? So if for a second. As as I said, I would be a negative reaction here for a while. I don’t want to option, you can’t remove the genes so much pain.

So I will suffice my pain. Uh-huh.

I have a large I know it’s showing this 1. I don’t know. So I’m trying to I’m trying to find I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know.

I is caprolone.

So and I’m gonna try and extract I’ve been following up with a it’s a virus. I’ve been trying to see a hemorrhage. Okay.

I wash I need natural hair and polycystic fibrosis. For it’s for a cellophilus attack? Is it is it is it good? What?

*

This verbal fugue state, reminiscent of Lucky’s monologue in Waiting for Godot or the poetry of Tristan Tzara, may have been due to a bad microphone setup, the algorithm desperately filling the spaces with all the medical vocab it could think of (and we thought only humans would be uncomfortable with silence).

Subsequent sessions went better, we’re told, but we’ll bet this doctor will be checking the scribe’s output quite diligently for a time.

Send Dadaist story tips to penny@medicalrepublic.com.au.

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