I tested Microsoft Copilot Health with my real medical records - here's my verdict

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.Do you ever turn to an AI for medical or health advice? We can debate the wisdom of doing so. But one pitfall is that the AI knows little or nothing about you medically. That means it can provide only generic information at best and bad information at worst.To address that drawback, Microsoft is previewing a new service called Copilot Health. To try this, you would first share a few details about yourself and then add any medical records of your choosing. Copilot assimilates and uses all that information to field your questions. The more the AI knows about you medically, the better it can tailor its responses to you and your specific conditions, history, medications, and more.Also: I paid Microsoft's premium Copilot agents to do my work - they were confidently bad at itYou can not only share your medical background with Copilot Health but also connect certain wearable devices and wellness apps. For example, if you've already been using Apple's Health app to track your medical status and history, you're able to connect that app to Copilot. Based on your health profile, Copilot will respond to your own requests but then ask follow-up questions to guide you on specific medical matters.Further, Copilot Health can help you find the right medical providers based on specialty, language, gender, insurance, and location.To give credibility to the guidance you receive, Microsoft said that the information provided by Copilot comes from thousands of trusted health organizations around the world using principles independently published by the National Academy of Medicine and through the company's partnership with Harvard Health.Sharing sensitive medical records with any company and any AI should naturally raise red flags. Yes, you can limit what records you add. But how private and protected is the information you do share? And how effective is Copilot Health if you decide not to reveal important details about your health or medical history?Naturally aware of privacy concerns, Microsoft said that your conversations with Copilot Health are not shared with the rest of Copilot and are not used to train AI. The data itself is encrypted both at rest and in transit. You can also manage, remove, or disconnect your health data sources at any time.Also: 5 reasons you should be more tight-lipped with your chatbotFurther, Copilot Health was built using an internal clinical team at Microsoft and reviewed by an external panel of more than 250 physicians from 24 different countries. Those physicians also provide clinical guidance and feedback on safety issues. Plus, Microsoft said that Copilot Health achieved ISO/IEC 42001 certification, which means that an independent third party verified how the service was developed and improved over time.Aside from privacy issues, I'm not a big fan of using AI as my personal physician. Given AI's tendency to make mistakes or hallucinate, I would never accept medical advice from a chatbot, at least not without double-checking. I'd rather call my doctor's office or pharmacy if I have a question or need help with a medical issue.To address fears over bad medical advice, Microsoft said that it's set up strong guardrails to protect against health misinformation guided by its responsible AI, clinical, safety, engineering, and health product teams. Sure, fine. But I'd continue to be wary of any suggestions or recommendations I receive from an AI.In its blog post, Microsoft even stated the following:"Copilot Health is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent diseases or other conditions and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Copilot Health is currently available in preview. Features, experiences, and usage limits may change during the preview period and may vary based on system conditions as improvements are made."Also: Copilot quietly grabs your data from other Microsoft products now - here's how to opt outStill, people are increasingly turning to AI for health-related information. With that in mind, I took Copilot Health for a spin to see if and how it might help me with certain medical matters.How to tryTo try Copilot Health, you need to be at least 18 years old, be based in the US, and subscribe to a Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, or Premium plan. To dive in, head to the Copilot Health website and sign in with your Microsoft account. Alternatively, you can use the Copilot mobile app for iOS or Android to register with Copilot Health. Just make sure you've updated the app to the latest version.Also: Asking AI for medical advice? There's a right and wrong way, one doctor explainsYou're first asked to provide basic details, including your age and gender at birth. You can then choose to add any health information from past Copilot chats or start from scratch. I opted to start from scratch. Next, you're prompted to connect your health records or connect the Apple Health app.If you choose to connect your health records, the process is run through Clear, a third-party service that verifies your identity through biometrics. In this case, you snap a selfie that's verified through Clear, which then finds your medical records across your providers. You can decide which providers and, therefore, which records to share with Copilot Health.To connect to Apple Health, you'll need the Copilot iOS app. Again, make sure you're running the latest version. Swipe to the right and select Health from the menu. Tap the option to connect to Apple Health. The app is then automatically connected. To start using Copilot Health, head to the regular Copilot website or fire up one of the mobile or desktop apps and select Health.Also: Do you ask AI deep questions at night? 37.5 million Copilot conversations show you're not aloneTo help you get started, Copilot Health invites you to share further details about yourself, including your medical conditions, your lifestyle, and your goals. You can also chat about any symptoms you currently have, get help preparing for a medical appointment, or ask for ways to improve your sleep.Now, here are some of the questions I submitted to Copilot Health and how it responded. The resultsHow did Copilot Health perform overall? I'd say the results were mixed, mostly due to technical glitches. For some reason, Copilot was unable to connect to or retrieve several of my health records. It was also unable to find my entire medication list, even though it's available in the Apple Health app. As such, the service was more difficult to use than I had hoped.Otherwise, Copilot did provide some helpful information and advice, so I certainly found it worth trying.That still leaves us with two big question marks: accuracy and privacy. Aside from the technical problems, Copilot seemed capable of providing accurate responses. But more difficult questions could pose a greater challenge. As for privacy, despite Microsoft's claims that the data remains private, I'd still be concerned about my health information winding up in the wrong hands.Ultimately, I removed all the information and disconnected all my providers from Copilot Health. Even if I were to consult an AI on medical questions, I'd rather feed it the necessary data when needed. And even then, I'd continue to check with my doctor or pharmacy before acting on any advice.