MICROSOFT
Paging Dr GPT-5
Microsoft says it has developed an AI tool that can diagnose medical conditions up to four times more accurately than human doctors, according to a new study published in the journal Science.
The tool, called Diagnostic Orchestrator, uses several AI agents powered by OpenAI’s GPT-5 to examine symptoms, review medical records, suggest tests and work out a diagnosis, similar to how doctors investigate medical conditions.
Researchers tested the system against doctors using past medical cases, and the results showed some big differences.
In brief:
The AI correctly diagnosed 83% of cases from The New England Journal of Medicine, compared with 36% for doctors using medical references and 22% for those without them.
In emergency cases, the AI reached 80% accuracy, while doctors averaged 47%.
The AI also reached diagnoses at a lower estimated cost, suggesting it could help reduce healthcare spending.
A diagnosis with zero student debt
However, the tool hasn't been tested on real patients yet, so researchers still need to see how well it works in hospitals.
Microsoft plans to begin testing the system at a Boston hospital in the coming months, although there's no confirmed launch date.
The project is part of Microsoft's bigger goal to develop medical superintelligence, where AI could help doctors diagnose illnesses, choose treatments and manage patient care.
Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman believes the technology could change healthcare significantly, but says doctors will still play an important role, with AI potentially freeing up more of their time to spend with patients.
Oh you wanted the AI doctor? That’ll be an extra $5,000. -MV