When 27-year-old Marly Garnreiter from Paris experienced persistent night sweats, itchy skin, and fatigue in early 2024, doctors initially dismissed it as grief-related, following her father’s death from colon cancer. But curious and still unwell, Marly turned to ChatGPT. To her shock, it suggested she might have blood cancer.
“My friends were skeptical and said I should rely on real doctors,” Marly recalled. Trusting her doctors, she ignored the AI’s warning. But her symptoms worsened—chest pain and extreme fatigue followed. After further testing, doctors found a mass in her lung. The final diagnosis: Hodgkin lymphoma—exactly what ChatGPT had flagged a year earlier.
“I didn’t want my family to go through this again,” Marly said as she began chemotherapy.
Her story is not proof that ChatGPT is always right, but it highlights the value of listening to your body. “Sometimes we lose touch with our inner self,” she reflected.
Marly’s case raises awareness of AI’s potential in early health detection. While AI can’t replace doctors, it can support diagnosis and help direct medical attention faster. The key lesson: take persistent symptoms seriously—whether flagged by AI or not—and never hesitate to seek more opinions.
