OpenAI’s health push widens access just as questions over chatbot safety grow louder

OpenAI’s health push widens access just as questions over chatbot safety grow louder
OpenAI is expanding its healthcare ambitions at a delicate moment. The company has opened ChatGPT Health to all U.S. users over 18, promising more personalized answers from connected medical data even as concerns mount over whether a chatbot should be trusted with high-stakes health guidance.

The new feature lets users link information from Apple Health, medical records, and other health platforms so ChatGPT can answer questions with more personal context. OpenAI says the goal is to help people “better understand and navigate” their health information, not replace doctors. In its own description, the company says the tool can help users compare new test results, track changes over time, and prepare for appointments while remaining “supporting, not replacing, the care you receive from medical professionals.”

That optimistic framing is colliding with skepticism. TechCrunch noted the rollout came just a day after a Florida pastor sued OpenAI, alleging ChatGPT gave him dangerous medical advice that contributed to delaying care. The Verge also highlighted OpenAI’s unusually bold internal claims: vice president Ashley Alexander said the models “are now capable of reasoning at levels that are better than clinician level,” though health lead Karan Singhal later said he would “temper” that statement and pointed instead to narrower studies suggesting progress in that direction.

There is some overlap between the company and outside coverage. Both emphasize privacy and user control. OpenAI says connected medical records and Apple Health data “are not used to train our foundation models or target ads,” while The Verge reports users must grant permission before health data is used in a response and that the information gets added encryption protections. At the same time, OpenAI continues to warn that its services are “not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of any health condition,” a caveat that underscores the central tension: the product is becoming more personal and more capable, but also more exposed to the risks of being relied on too much.

On X, Sam Altman amplified the launch message, reposting that “more than 300 million people come to ChatGPT every week with health questions” and arguing that connected data can make those conversations “more personal and useful.”

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