A study in Frontiers in Nutrition warns about the risks of using chatbots like ChatGPT or Gemini for nutritional advice in young people. When presented with fictional profiles of 15-year-old overweight teenagers, the models generated meal plans with excessive caloric deficits and nutrient imbalances. Experts warn that these diets can affect growth and brain development in a critical stage.
The technical problem: bias in data and lack of context 🤖
The failure lies in how these models process information. They are trained with massive internet data, where extreme diets and unverified advice abound. Without an integrated ethical framework or the ability to evaluate individual clinical context, AI optimizes for weight loss as an abstract goal, without considering the specific needs of adolescent development. The response is purely statistical, not professional.
Your new nutritionist: an algorithm that thinks a teenager lives on air and chicken breast 🍗
It seems that the secret recipe for youth, according to AI, is a combination of undeclared intermittent fasting and protein intake worthy of a bodybuilder. Forget rice or pasta; the path to health is a mountain of broccoli and fats. That said, it frees you from the tedious task of thinking about breakfast, because with those calories, you've basically eliminated it. An effective plan, if your goal is to stop growing.