Openai's medical AI oversight: a global network of doctors enhances health advice

OpenAI has enlisted over 300 million users globally for health-related queries on ChatGPT, prompting the company to recruit hundreds of physicians worldwide to guide AI development in healthcare. Rebecca Soskin Hicks, a physician leading these efforts, works closely with doctors and the company to refine AI for medical use. She emphasized the high stakes of healthcare AI, noting that there is no definitive endpoint for improvement. In July 2026, a pastor sued OpenAI over ChatGPT's health advice, alleging misdiagnosis and underplaying symptoms. Despite legal uncertainties, OpenAI continues to advance, with Ashley Alexander stating that AI complements, rather than replaces, traditional medical research. Doctors, including Karan Singhal, aim to position ChatGPT as a supportive tool in patient care. The physician network, comprising part-time contractors from Kenya, Nepal, and Brazil, has reviewed over 700,000 ChatGPT responses by July 2026. Their feedback helps refine models to better triage emergencies and communicate uncertainty. OpenAI also released a benchmark for mental health responses last month, aiming to build a robust evidence base for AI's impact on health outcomes.