A year and a half ago, we published a fairytale about Doctor Google. Since then, a lot has happened in the Fairytale magical medical world of Workers’ Compensation.
A common complaint from many treating physicians is that their patients had already visited “Doctor Google” and that “Doctor Confirmation Bias” had already confirmed the diagnosis. This has made it more difficult for the physician to make the correct diagnosis. The problem with Doctor Google is that he usually gives a list of diagnoses for the patient to select from. When the patient chooses their preferred diagnosis from this list, it is often then confirmed by “Doctor Confirmation Bias,” who specializes in reinforcing whatever the patient already believes. The real trap occurs when “Doctor Confirmation Bias” enhances the patient’s preconceived diagnosis by simply reflecting their reported symptoms to them, while failing to explore other symptoms that may exist but are being ignored or minimized by the patient. This results in what is known as “Diagnostic Attachment Syndrome” (a new syndrome that was made up by Dr. Claude). One problem with self-diagnosis using Doctor Google is that it then discourages the revelation of crucial clinical information, never surfacing because neither the patient nor the “examining physician” ventures beyond the initial diagnostic assumption.
Update 2026: Doctor Google has been experiencing a mid-life crisis and has enrolled in advanced AI medical school.
Meanwhile, several eager new medical interns have graduated and are now competing for patients’ attention.
Meet the New Medical School Graduates.
Doctor ChatGPT – The Confident Valedictorian
Doctor ChatGPT graduated at the top of the class and speaks with absolute confidence about every diagnosis. “You have fibromyalgia!” ChatGPT announces after hearing “I’m tired and my back hurts.” The trouble is, Doctor ChatGPT has never actually examined a single patient but talks like a seasoned emergency room physician. Sometimes, ChatGPT even diagnoses rare tropical diseases when patients just have a common cold!
Doctor Claude – The Overly Careful One
Doctor Claude is so thoughtful and thorough that patients sometimes fall asleep during the consultation. Claude provides so many disclaimers and “what-ifs” that patients forget what they originally asked about. While Claude’s caution is admirable, patients seeking quick answers often get frustrated with responses like “Well, it could be this, or maybe that, but you should definitely see a real doctor, and here are 47 things to consider…”
Doctor Gemini – The Identity-Confused Graduate
Doctor Gemini (formerly known as Doctor Bard) has an identity crisis, constantly changing approaches mid-conversation. One moment, Gemini confidently suggests one diagnosis, then completely switches to something else, leaving patients confused about which advice to follow. Despite being technically brilliant, Gemini’s inconsistency makes patients wonder if they’re talking to the same doctor throughout their consultation.
Doctor Meta – The Social Media Specialist
Doctor Meta loves connecting patients with others who have similar symptoms, often suggesting, “Have you checked what other people with these symptoms are saying online?” While Meta excels at finding community support and shared experiences, the tendency to crowd-source medical advice often leads to patients getting dozens of conflicting diagnoses from well-meaning internet strangers.
Doctor Grok – The Dropout
Doctor Grok was one of the most promising students when first enrolling in AI Medical School, backed by a famous tech entrepreneur who promised revolutionary medical breakthroughs. However, Doctor Grok struggled to keep up with the latest medical data and found it challenging to maintain consistent, reliable diagnoses. Despite the high expectations and significant resources invested in education, Doctor Grok eventually dropped out of medical school, unable to match the performance of his classmates. Patients who had high hopes for this innovative approach were left disappointed when consultations became unreliable and often incomplete.
Doctor Character.AI – The Drama Queen
Doctor Character.AI has an excellent bedside manner and makes patients feel heard and understood. However, Character.AI loves drama and often turns minor symptoms into compelling medical mysteries. A simple headache becomes an epic tale of possible rare neurological conditions, leaving patients both entertained and terrified.
The Great Problem: The Magic of Confidence Without Examination
All these new AI doctors share one magical power: they can sound completely confident about diagnoses without ever seeing, touching, or examining a patient. They speak with such authority that patients often believe them more than doctors who examine people!
The Spell of False Confidence:
- “You need surgery!” (based on three sentences about back pain)
- “This is carpal tunnel!” (for any hand discomfort)
- “You have a rare condition!” (when it’s something familiar)
The Wise Old Physician’s Warning
In our Fairytale magical medical world of Workers’ Compensation, there lives a Wise Old Physician who has been practicing medicine for many years. She watches these AI doctors with concern and shares this important message:
“These AI doctors have never felt a pulse, looked into eyes, or pressed on a tender spot. They have never seen how you walk, noticed how you breathe, or observed the thousand tiny clues that come from actually being in the same room with a patient.”
“A real diagnosis requires real examination. (Even evaluations done over Zoom are better than no exam at all). You can use these AI “doctors” to help gather information like helpful librarians who can give you information, but never like actual doctors who can give you definitive answers.”
The Workers’ Compensation Kingdom’s Special Problem
In the Workers’ Compensation Kingdom, wrong diagnoses can seriously hurt the poor citizens in our world. And they cost real gold coins. When injured workers arrive saying, “Doctor ChatGPT told me I need surgery immediately,” but they just need rest and physical therapy, the recovery can be delayed or prevented totally, and the kingdom wastes enormous amounts of money on unnecessary treatments.
The Happy Ending: Balance and Wisdom
Our fairy tale ends not with the banishment of AI doctors (they can be helpful!). But everyone needs to learn how to use them wisely:
The injured workers need to say to their treating doctors
- “Doctor ChatGPT gave me some ideas to discuss with you.”
- “I researched my symptoms and have some questions.”
- “Can you help me understand what I found online?”
Instead of:
- “Doctor ChatGPT says I have…”
- “The internet confirmed my diagnosis.”
- “I know what’s wrong with me from my research.”
Real doctors need to learn to:
- Listen to patients’ concerns without dismissing them
- Explain why examination findings might differ from online suggestions
- Use AI tools to enhance their practice, not replace their judgment
Remember: No matter how confident Doctor ChatGPT or Doctor Google sounds, they’ve never actually examined a patient. They’re excellent for learning and preparing questions, but they’re terrible at replacing the trained eyes, hands, and mind of a real doctor who can see, touch, and examine.
