Can You Trust AI For Health and Training Advice?

How reliable is Artificial Intelligence (AI) when it comes to health, wellness and training advice? Writer, educator and Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, Dr Nick Tiller, recently led a research study entitled "Generative artificial intelligence-driven chatbots and medical misinformation: an accuracy, referencing and readability audit." which focused on the feedback and information given by AI in this vital space. Tiller and his team looked at the technology behind AI, how information is delivered and then tracked the validity of the information based on sound, scientific evidence. The results were disturbing, but Tiller still has some advice on how best to use AI when it comes to our own health.

Tiller is a research associate at the Lundquist Institute, Harbor-UCLA Medical Centre and is the author of two books: The Skeptic's Guide to Sports Science (Taylor & Francis), which was named one of Book Authority's "Best Sports Science Books of All Time," and The Health and Wellness Lie (Bloomsbury), described as "the systematic dismantling of a trillion-dollar con."

​​​​With a master's in kinesiology, Tiller worked as a performance physiologist on the UK’s Olympic programme before earning his doctorate in Applied Physiology from Brunel University London. He has since held academic posts in the UK and Los Angeles, where his research at the prestigious Lundquist Institute focuses on exercise physiology, respiratory medicine, and the science of extreme exercise - a field he knows firsthand as an accomplished ultramarathon runner. His recent work examines health misinformation and questionable research practices.

​​​​A prominent voice in science communication, Tiller writes for Skeptical Inquirer and Ultra-Running Magazine and serves as associate editor for the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. He's authored more than 150 general-audience articles and is a frequent guest on television, radio, and podcasts. In 2023, he was named a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry for his commitment to promoting science literacy and critical thinking.

SHOW NOTES

Nick Tiller and his colleagues' paper on the performance of AI in response to health and exercise questions

The BBC story based on Tiller and Co's Paper

Dr Nick Tiller's Website

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