CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW)- UVA Health’s Blue Ridge Poison Center warns that its work can’t simply replaced by artificial intelligence, both because AI is still too error-prone and because, instances of potential poisonings, people need a human touch.
“Calls to the poison center are answered by healthcare providers specially trained to help in any poison emergency,” Dr. Chris Holstege, the center’s director, said in a statement. “They provide the calm, expert voice you can trust.”
In recognition of National Poison Prevention Week, UVA Health’s Blue Ridge Poison Center hosted a briefing and Q&A session Wednesday on the danger of leaning on AI and cursory internet searches in diagnosing and treating potential poisonings.
According to the Center’s data, nine out of 10 poisonings happen at home; four of 10 occur to children under the age of six, and the most common causes include medicines, cleaning products, and pesticides.
A study done by the European Broadcasting Union suggests that 50% of AI assistant software, programs like ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini, have at least one factual error in responding to questions about current news and scientific information, 33.3% of responses showed sourcing problems, and 20% employed outdated and/or hallucinated information to answer the questions.
The Blue Ridge Poison Center, opened in 1978, is staffed by medical professionals who can provide comprehensive help for any number of emergency situations with potential poisonings over the phone free of charge, with support available 24/7.
Poison centers save an average of $3.1 billion dollars per year for Americans’ medical expenses, according to a recent study by America’s Poison Centers. The BRPC has helped one million callers since its opening in 1978.
National Poison Prevention Awareness Week runs through March 21.
