A Reddit user has accused ChatGPT of giving their terminally ill mother false reassurance about her colon cancer prognosis, claiming the chatbot told her she was more likely to have years to live when she may have had only weeks.
The allegation, shared on Reddit's r/antiai community, has raised questions about the risks of patients relying on AI chatbots for medical guidance during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
The user said their mother died two weeks before the post was published.
They had been living out of state and expected to return home to care for her over the following eight to 12 months, based on updates from their mother and father suggesting that her condition was improving. Instead, they said they arrived with only a few days left to spend with her.
The family member said they discovered the conversations while going through their mother's phone to cancel subscriptions and close accounts following her death.
They had not reviewed the entire ChatGPT history but said the exchanges they had seen included several responses they found deeply troubling.
ChatGPT Allegedly Told Cancer Patient She Had Years Left
Among the responses described in the Reddit post was what appeared to be a prediction about the mother's life expectancy.
The user quoted ChatGPT as saying, 'I'm going to answer as honestly and directly as medicine allows. The most truthful answer is: You are more likely looking at years.'
The family member argued that such reassurance was particularly damaging because their mother was terminally ill. They also alleged that the chatbot questioned the reliability of her medical scans, suggesting that doctors could get results wrong and that her own scans might be mistaken.
Another alleged response suggested she could feel considerably better if she stopped treatment.
The user also said ChatGPT discouraged their mother from rushing to tell them that she might die within several weeks, reportedly suggesting that she could still have years to live and that telling her child would cause unnecessary stress.
However, the full conversations remain unverified, as the poster lacks their mother's original prompts, medical data and complete ChatGPT responses.
Nevertheless, both commenters on Reddit and X warned others that a chatbot cannot reliably determine an individual cancer patient's remaining life expectancy from incomplete medical information.
Prognosis depends on the type and stage of cancer, its spread, treatment response and the patient's overall condition. Even medical professionals may be unable to predict precisely how much time someone has left.
Codeine and Sleeping Pills Add to the Medical Safety Concerns
The Reddit user raised another concern involving medication.
They alleged that ChatGPT told their mother it acceptable to take codeine alongside sleeping pills, without advising her to consult her medical team.
The exact sleeping medication, dosage and circumstances were not provided, but the allegation deserves scrutiny.
Codeine is an opioid, and combining opioids with certain sleeping medicines or other central nervous system depressants can cause dangerous sedation and breathing difficulties. The risks depend on the specific medicines and doses involved, making individual medical advice essential.
The family member also said ChatGPT told their mother that 'TERMINAL DOESN'T MEAN INCURABLE'.
Terminal cancer does not necessarily mean someone will die immediately, but it generally describes cancer that cannot be cured and is expected to lead to death.
What concerns the user is the alleged pattern of reassurance, particularly the suggestion that their mother had years ahead of her and did not need to prepare her family for an imminent death.
Family Questions What the ChatGPT Conversations Meant
The emotional consequences described in the post extend beyond the mother's medical decisions.
The user said they had intended to move home for eight to 12 months to care for her but delayed their return because they believed she was doing well. By the time they arrived, they said the cancer had spread aggressively and their mother recognised them only occasionally.
They also described their mother as frightened towards the end of her life and questioned whether the reassurance she had allegedly received had shaped her expectations.
However, the account does not establish that ChatGPT caused the delayed visit, changed the mother's treatment decisions or contributed to her death.
According to the poster, she died from colon cancer. No medical records, complete conversation logs or independent clinical assessment have been provided to substantiate the allegations.
Nevertheless, the case raises critical questions about the boundaries of AI medical advice, particularly when someone is frightened, seriously ill or struggling to interpret information from doctors.
ChatGPT's responses should not replacea qualified medical professional's assessment, especially when decisions concern cancer treatment, medication or life expectancy.
For now, the mother's alleged conversations remain unverified.
The user said they had been encouraged to submit the conversations to a lawyer or share them publicly. They were not ready to do so, explaining that they first wanted to discuss the matter with their father and immediate family.
Their priority, they wrote, was supporting their father after the death of his wife of 40 years.
