The story of a dangerously flawed #eHealth AI Chatbot.
A THREAD about #HealthTech #Hype, #AI #Governance & #MedicalDevice #PatientSafety.
Read on, or see the single tweet summary👇0/45
'Bad Bot' (part I) - 👇 1/45
Dr Murphy was expecting Big Things from @babylonhealth...
2/45
![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DmrgoNXW4AY7mHr.jpg)
IMO - the companies focus on accessibility & affordability - has been to the detriment of ensuring #PatientSafety - which is the focus of this thread.
3/45
![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dmrgo5AX0AAzq-A.jpg)
Babylon claimed, their #AI #Chatbot was more capable of passing the diagnostic component of the post-graduate @rcgp exam, than a typical UK GP trainee.
Sounds good doesn't it.
Maybe too good to be true?
Dr Butt 👇4/45
The message was clear. If you want to have good health, you had better follow the guidance of the Babylon AI...
Scientific wavy lines👇5/45
Ali Parsa's sales pitch 👇6/45
Babylon also released a 'paper' that outlined the 'research' presented at the #BabylonAITest event.
7/45
![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dmrix3yXgAEkHhf.jpg)
Was the 'diagnostic' AI Chatbot actually any good, or was the #BabylonAITest just an elaborate PR exercise?
Dr Murphy's non-academic review 👇8/45
Including Professor @EnricoCoiera (trained in medicine with a computer science PhD in Artificial Intelligence), author of "Guide to Health Informatics".
The Enrico review 👇9/45
Eric Topols tweets 👇10/45
Or was this as misleading as their prior '100% safe' Chatbot claim.
Dr Murphy put the AI Chatbot to the test.
A prior misleading claim👇 11/45
Chatbot diagnosis = #PanicAttack.
Result = AI fail.
#DeathByChatbot 👇 12/45
Chatbot diagnosis = it REALLY doesn't know what to do with a nosebleed.
Result = AI fail.
Bizarre #NoseBleed triage 👇13/45
Chatbot diagnosis = #Costochodritis & #BrokenAnkle.
Result = AI fail.
Another #DeathByChatbot 👇 14/45
A statement from the Royal College of General Practitioners @rcgp, rebuked Babylon’s claims as “dubious" - & the online media hype was replaced with more objective reporting.
Media coverage 👇15/45
mobihealthnews.com/content/uk-pra…
"Babylon’s AI is on par with doctors"
Misleading Babylon promotional email 👇16/45
Another bad day for Babylon 👇17/45
More red faces at Babylon👇18/45
Of concern, it appears they had also cut corners with the @babylrwanda AI system deployed in Rwanda.
BBC Click 👇19/45
"The new Health Secretary, @MattHancock - uses a controversial smartphone app, @babylonhealth - that offers virtual consultations with a GP."
Dr Murphy needs counselling 😕 20/45
Babylon's PR panic👇21/45
The @FinancialTimes reported on the flawed reality of the unvalidated @babylonhealth AI Chatbot...
👇22/45
@babylonhealth, claimed the company was the victim of Twitter #Trolls, motivated by vested interests...
#PatientSafety #Troll 👇23/45
The benefits of an Advertorial deal 👇 24/45
In reality, the @babylonhealth Chatbot was flawed.
Some of the Chatbot triage algorithms could cause patients unnecessary distress.
e.g. Flawed #UTI triage👇 25/45
e.g. Flawed #NoseBleed triage 👇 26/45
Dangerously flawed AI triage algorithms, continued to be a risk to patient safety.
e.g. #Cardiac #ChestPain triage👇27/45
#DeathByChatbot👇 28/45
Could they be trusted to deliver healthcare?
#DeathByChatbot 👇 29/45
He hadn't tested his own Chatbot!
Bizarrely, he also intimated @MHRAdevices regulations & @CareQualityComm were a 'barrier'. 🤔
Listen to Ali👇30/45
The new Health Secretary, @MattHancock, used his first speech to promote #HealthTech & specifically @babylonhealth @GPatHand 😲
Matt Hancock supports Babylon's Bad Bot👇31/45 bbc.com/news/health-44…
Sudden onset #ChestPain & #Breathlessness = #DeathByChatbot
Another Bad Chatbot triage👇32/45
For example; Productive Cough = #MultipleSclerosis. 🙄
This Babylon AI Chatbot was an #eHealth liability.
Would you trust this Bot👇33/45
The Bad Bot debates👇34/45
@MattHancock didn't appear to have a good understanding of the potential risks to #PatientSafety from flawed unvalidated AI #HealthTech.
The Bad Bot debates👇35/45
For example; Gastroenteritis =
#LactaseDeficiency 🤔 or
#MultipleSclerosis 🙄 or
#ErectileDysfunction 😕
Don't #AskBabylon👇36/45
Remember; this Chatbot was promoted as being 'on par' with practicing doctors. Apparently it also helps to deliver healthcare in Rwanda via @babylrwanda!
Trust me, I'm a Chatbot👇37/45
An #eHealth AI🍋? 👇38/45
#BabylonAITest - Astounding or Snake Oil? 👇39/45
RIP - Babylon's 'Diagnostic' Chatbot👇40/45
It raises the question - was the Chatbot & the #BabylonAITest event just a #SnakeOil PR gimmick?
#MedicalDevice #AI #Quackery👇41/45
Did the Babylon Corporate Culture & Hype stifle Clinical Governance?
42/45👇
It is therefore 'critical' - that those involved in the development of AI technologies do...
How do we regulate for that?
#Corporate #Ethics
#AI #Governance 43/45👂here👇
bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b0…
Overblown hype & unvalidated #HealthTech - has no place in healthcare.
#MedicalDevice #Quackery
#Theranos #BadBlood
44/45👇
However, we can be optimistic, with many examples of 'truly' innovative AI #HealthTech on the horizon - @DeepMind_Health, @KheironMedical, #IDxDR etc
👇45/45
Thanks for reading. If you have found it useful then please click below & retweet the 'Bad Bot' thread 👇