Lumbar Radicular Pain in the Eyes of Artificial Intelligence: Can You ‘Imagine’ What I ‘Feel’?

Pain is a complex sensory and emotional experience that significantly impacts individuals' well-being. Lumbar radicular pain (LRP) is a prevalent neuropathic pain affecting 9.9% to 25% of the population annually. Accurate identification of pain patterns in LRP is essential for diagnosis and management. Artificial intelligence has potential in health care but faces challenges in reliability and accuracy. This study aimed to investigate the accuracy and consistency of LRP patterns demonstrated by ChatGPT-4o. The study was conducted at Üsküdar State Hospital from June 1 to June 30, 2024, utilizing the Generative Pretrained Transformer (GPT), version 4o language model. ChatGPT-4o was prompted to generate and mark LRP patterns for L4, L5, and S1 radiculopathies on an anatomical model. The process was repeated after two weeks to assess consistency. The markings by ChatGPT were compared with those by two experienced specialists using OpenCV for analysis. ChatGPT's initial and follow-up markings of L4, L5, and S1 radiculopathy pain patterns were statistically significantly different from each other and from the specialists' markings (P < 0.001 for all comparisons). ChatGPT currently lacks the capacity to accurately and consistently represent LRP patterns. AI tools in health care require further refinement, validation, and regulation to ensure reliability and safety. Future research should involve multiple AI platforms and broader medical conditions to enhance generalizability.