ChatGPT Can Answer Health Questions But Can't Substitute Professional Advice: OpenAI Official

As per OpenAI's usage policies, while users can still ask ChatGPT for financial, legal and medical advice, the information provided cannot be substituted for professional legal or medical advice, a company spokesperson clarified in a statement.

"Not true. Despite speculation, this is not a new change to our terms. Model behaviour remains unchanged. ChatGPT has never been a substitute for professional advice, but it will continue to be a great resource to help people understand legal and health information," Karan Singhal, head of health AI at OpenAI, wrote on X.

The policies are aimed at protecting people, respecting privacy, keeping minors safe and empowering users.

OpenAI earlier also reinforced its stance against misuse, banning activities involving threats, harassment, weapons development, illicit transactions, and promotion of self-harm or violence.

Special protections are enforced for minors, banning the creation or sharing of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), grooming, or exposing minors to explicit or harmful content. The company said it reports apparent child exploitation to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

OpenAI also restricts the use of its models in politically sensitive and high-stakes areas, including campaigning, education, healthcare, finance, and law enforcement, unless human review is involved.

“We build with safety first,” the company said. “We monitor and enforce policies with privacy safeguards in place and clear review processes.”

OpenAI said it regularly changes its rules to make sure they stay fair and keep users safe. The company also said it can block access to its services if needed to protect users or its systems.

(Note: The news has been updated to improve clarity and reader understanding.)