Personal Pocket Doctor

AI Word Makers

Recently, there has been a lot of hype around AI or ‘artificial intelligence,’ especially about a product called ChatGPT. ChatGPT is an AI (a computer program) that can generate sentences. It basically stores all the words on the internet and the linkages between them and uses that to create new sentences. Answering medical questions is a good use of AI. It doesn’t replace human experts, but we don’t have 24/7 access to human experts.

Personal Expert

Using ChatGPT (or another AI) to answer medical questions is risky. You can never be sure the answer is correct. But that applies to anything you find on the internet, or even, for that matter, what your doctor tells you. There is no 100% certainty with anything human. But ChatGPT gives better answers than most websites. In fact, it is as good as a doctor at answering many medical questions.

Using AI

Get a free assistant

ChatGPT and other AIs have free accounts. To sign up, go to chat.openai.com. For the free Bing chat, use the Microsoft Edge web browser and go to chat.bing.com. There are others as well. You can have a conversation with all of them to check the answers from the others.

Tell AI to be what you want

To get the best out of your AI doctor, you have to know how to ask it questions. First, you have to tell the AI how you want to answer. To begin your question, say something like, “Act as a medical doctor with expertise in diabetes.” Then tell it to explain at the level you want: “Answer in simple terms.” Once you establish the frame, you don’t have to repeat it with each question.

Have a conversation

The ability to ask follow-up questions sets AI apart from a web search. When the AI responds, ask for more information about a part of the answer or ask for an alternative point of view. You can ask the AI to check the reply for bad information.

Healthy conversations

AI can also help you learn about a specific health topic. For example, if you have diabetes, you can have AI teach you about diabetes, what high blood sugar does, what the potential damage is, how to improve blood sugar, and all sorts of related issues. Ask the AI to explain it differently, ask why, and learn even more. AI is your personal expert, and you can have a conversation. Keep asking until you get the information you need. When you have a good answer, ask it to double-check the information.

Plan with AI

Plan exercise

You can also ask the AI to make an exercise plan for you. You give it all your information, such as age, sex, fitness level, what you like to do, and what you don’t like to do, and then tell it how much you want to exercise, and it can develop a plan to improve your health with exercise.

Plan meals

You can also ask AI to create a healthy meal plan. Tell it what foods you like, what foods you don’t like, and what you have in the house. Mention any medical conditions you have so the meals it suggests suit your situation.

Sample AI Prompts

Type these prompts into an AI to learn how to talk to it.

Act as a doctor with expertise in diabetes. What are the risks of high blood sugar, and some ways to reduce blood sugar? What are some foods to limit or to eat more of? Think step by step and answer in simple words.
Act as a nutrition expert. Create a nutritionally balanced meal plan for 2 people low in refined carbs. We eat twice a day. Use simple, inexpensive ingredients. I don’t like fish, but I like chicken, beef, and pork. I don’t like broccoli or cauliflower. Include simple recipes with step-by-step instructions. Add a detailed shopping list.
Act as a fitness trainer. Create a fitness plan for a 45-year-old woman who is a bit out of shape. I want to get stronger. Use only exercises with no equipment. Provide a description of each activity. I don’t like swimming or weightlifting. I want to exercise 20 minutes a day.
Act as a caring teacher. Teach me about fat, protein, and carbs and how they are used in the body. Make a 500-word lesson and quiz me at the end.
Act as a pastor or priest. Give me pastoral advice on my spiritual well-being.
Act as a cognitive behavioural therapist. Begin a therapy session. Write only what the therapist would say, not the patient’s response. I will respond to your questions as the patient. We will have a conversation.

Take Advantage of Tech

We want to take advantage of new technology when it can help us. God knows there are negative effects of technology. Choose to use this new technology to help you live a healthier, happier life.

Personal Pocket Doctor