ChatGPT isn’t giving up on its side gig as a doctor and lawyer

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Rumors of ChatGPT’s sudden career change have been greatly exaggerated. 

Over the weekend, social media users began freaking out over claims that OpenAI had banned ChatGPT from offering legal or medical advice after an October 29th policy update. 

The story spread fast, even the betting platform Kalshi posted (and later deleted) a dramatic “JUST IN” alert saying ChatGPT would “no longer provide health or legal advice.”

Not so fast, says OpenAI. Karan Singhal, the company’s head of health AI, jumped in on X (Twitter) to set the record straight: “Not true,” he wrote. 

Not true. Despite speculation, this is not a new change to our terms. Model behavior remains unchanged. ChatGPT has never been a substitute for professional advice, but it will continue to be a great resource to help people understand legal and health information. https://t.co/fCCCwXGrJv

— Karan Singhal (@thekaransinghal) November 3, 2025

“ChatGPT has never been a substitute for professional advice, but it will continue to be a great resource to help people understand legal and health information.” 

ChatGPT is still happy to explain your lab results or decode that weird legal jargon, but it just won’t represent you in court or prescribe antibiotics.

The confusion stems from OpenAI’s newly updated usage policy, which merges several older documents into one tidy list of “don’ts.” 

Among them: users can’t rely on ChatGPT for “tailored advice that requires a license, such as legal or medical advice, without appropriate involvement by a licensed professional.” 

That might sound new, but it’s actually old news. The same rule existed in previous versions, just worded differently.

Previously, OpenAI warned against activities that “may significantly impair the safety, wellbeing, or rights of others,” including offering “tailored legal, medical/health, or financial advice” without a qualified human in the loop. 

The new version simply clarifies that the policy applies across all OpenAI products, ChatGPT, API, and everything else.

So, no, ChatGPT hasn’t hung up its metaphorical stethoscope or law degree. 

It’s still allowed to explain what “force majeure” means or what a viral load is, but it just can’t replace your lawyer or doctor. 

OpenAI didn’t tighten its rules. It just organized them. The AI didn’t get stricter. The internet just got confused.