Over the last couple of years, much has been made of AI and its ability to replace a human worker. Yet, sometimes, we discover that the projections are not as dire as expected. Even tech giant Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) recently discovered as much when ChatGPT took on cancer treatment recommendations and failed. That failure was sufficient to send Microsoft stock down somewhat in Thursday afternoon’s trading.
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A recent study took a look at ChatGPT’s track record when it came to cancer treatments and the accompanying recommendations from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN). The NCCN offers a set of guidelines as to what cancer treatment should be, so anyone who offers guidance on cancer treatments should be fairly close to the NCCN, commonly regarded as the last word in the field. ChatGPT, however, took its own path in roughly one out of every three cases. While ChatGPT did at least sometimes agree with the NCCN in 98% of cases, total agreement came in only 62% of cases.
This is not the first time that AI has believed it knows better than recognized human experts. The tale of the “ChatGPT Lawyer” may be one of the most familiar cautionary tales at this point. That ended in censures and fines, but that doesn’t necessarily mean AI is useless in legal proceedings. It basically means that, as some who were regarded as more optimistic viewers of the situation said, AI must be used alongside humans, not in place of them. That’s good news for humans who want to keep their jobs, though it does take some of the shine off of AI as a whole since it won’t allow businesses to replace their entire payroll with one piece of software.
Microsoft, meanwhile, is still big with analysts. With 32 Buy ratings, two Holds, and one Sell, Microsoft stock is considered a Strong Buy by analyst consensus. Further, Microsoft stock offers investors 21.66% upside potential thanks to its average price target of $391.52.
