‘Get to ER now…’: Reddit user claims ChatGPT helped save his wife’s life after doctor dismissed symptoms
A viral Reddit post has sparked widespread conversation about the potential of artificial intelligence in healthcare, after a user credited ChatGPT with saving his wife’s life. The post, which quickly gained traction across social media, described how the AI model urged immediate medical attention for symptoms that even a doctor had initially dismissed.
According to the Redditor, his wife had recently undergone a routine cyst removal procedure and was being treated with antibiotics. Despite showing troubling signs, she had initially chosen to ”wait it out”.
Redditor says ChatGPT saved his wife's life by correcting a doctor's fatal misdiagnosis. Comments are filled with people sharing their own stories. I don't understand the AI haters at all. This technology saves lives. pic.twitter.com/SldMb3KCLN— Deedy (@deedydas) June 13, 2025
Unusually urgent response from ChatGPT
Concerned, the user turned to ChatGPT for input. The AI’s response was unusually urgent; it said, ”Get to the ER now.” Heeding the advice, they rushed to the hospital, where doctors confirmed she was septic from infection. ”If we had waited until morning, it could have been much, much worse,” the post read. ”$20 well spent” the Reddit user wrote.
Reigniting AI in healthcare debate
The post went viral, attracting several responses, many sharing their own experiences of AI-assisted health decisions. One user wrote, ”Did the same for my aunt! I diagnosed her with a blood clot when we had no clue. Doctors later confirmed it.” ”I don’t understand the AI haters at all. This technology saves lives,” another user wrote on the post.
With mixed reactions, the post reignited debate over AI’s growing role in healthcare. Several users praised ChatGPT as a valuable second opinion. Others inquired about the model used with one writing, ”Was it GPT-4?”. Some remained skeptical of artificial intelligence’s diagnostic capabilities.
One user cautioned against over-reliance on technology and wrote, ”AI isn’t replacing the skills of a top-notch diagnostician just yet.”
Another user questioned, “What symptoms did you share with ChatGPT? What was your prompt? I have never used it for medical reasons.”
Some also raised questions on the AI’s credibility. “It’s self-selecting just a bit,” one Redditor pointed out. Others made fun too by stating, “Sorry, but I don’t need ChatGPT to tell me to go to the ER when I black out and have non stop leg pain. Common sense would have done that.”
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