ECRI Names AI Chatbots Top Health Hazard

ECRI, the independent patient-safety organization, names misuse of AI chatbots the top health technology hazard for 2026, citing their tendency to deliver confident but factually incorrect medical advice. The report notes over 40 million daily users of platforms like ChatGPT and documents 'expert-sounding' hallucinations that can cause misdiagnosis and injury. It recommends AI governance, human verification, continuous audits, and clinician training to reduce patient harm.