What to Know About An AI Tool That "Hallucinates" or Makes Up Medical Transcriptions
Ask students: What are "hallucinations" as they relate to AI? Why is an AI system that makes errors during people's medical appointments a problem?
Warning: This story contains sensitive, personal information that AI sometimes unintentionally incorporates into their models.
Many medical centers use an AI-powered tool called Whisper to transcribe patients’ interactions with their doctors. However, researchers have found that it sometimes invents text, a phenomenon known in the industry as hallucinations, raising the possibility of errors like misdiagnosis.
View the transcript of the story.
Discussion Questions
- What are "hallucinations" as they relate to AI?
- Where are AI transcriptions used?
- When did AI transcriptions begin to be used?
- How does OpenAI's Whisper model work? What errors did it make?
- Why is an AI system that makes errors during people's medical appointments a problem?
Focus Questions
- Does this piece change your perspective on AI? If so, why?
- Do you think there needs to be more legal protections regarding patients' private medical information when artificial intelligence tools are being used? Explain.
- Media literacy: What else would you like to know about using AI in medical settings? How could you find this information out?
Extension Activity
With a partner, choose one of the videos below to watch on AI and discuss some its benefits and pitfalls. Do you think the public understands AI to the degree it needs to? What entities could help the American people better understand how AI works?
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Join the team from the AI Educator Brain, which includes AFT’s Share My Lesson director Kelly Booz; New York City Public Schools teacher Sari Beth Rosenberg and EdBrAIn, our AI teammate (yes, it named and designed itself!). In this community, we will dissect the pros and cons of AI tools in education. Our mission: to determine how AI can support teaching and learning, and when it might be best to stick with tried-and-true methods.
Republished with permission from PBS NewsHour Classroom.
PBS News Hour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories. The site combines the best of News Hour's reliable, trustworthy news program with lesson plans developed specifically for... See More
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