Podcast Summary: The ChatGPT Experiment Ep 97 – "ChatGPT Health, Ads, and Listener Questions Answered"

Host: Cary Weston
Date: January 20, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Cary Weston explores two significant recent announcements from OpenAI regarding ChatGPT: a new health-focused version ("ChatGPT Health") and the introduction of ads within the platform. Cary unpacks what these changes might mean for users, particularly in terms of privacy, trust, and utility, and addresses common listener questions about practical ChatGPT usage. He also gives shout-outs to engaged listeners and shares some personal reflections on productivity and community.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Announcement: ChatGPT Health

(06:32 – 24:30)

• What is ChatGPT Health?

  • OpenAI is rolling out a dedicated health and wellness experience within ChatGPT, creating a separate space to discuss health, connect medical info, and offer more personalized, medically aware answers.
  • Cary explains:

    “My guess in my kind of rudimentary thinking of this is this would be kind of a custom GPT type focused thing where it's only medically focused. It's going to come in with that background than the role playing knowledge of a healthcare professional to guide.” (08:35)

• Why is this important?

  • Health queries are one of the largest and most popular uses of ChatGPT. Formalizing this use case brings greater privacy and protections.
  • Cary notes the need for stronger privacy, security, and protection, especially as the tool may eventually connect to medical records.

• Personal Perspective on Healthcare & Decentralization

  • Cary reflects on the impersonal, commoditized nature of current healthcare in the U.S., highlighting the potential for ChatGPT Health to add value by offering clearer information and helping individuals advocate for their own care.

  • “Maybe you have experiences where you are frustrated because you feel like you have to be healthcare advocate more than ever just to get attention, right? Just to get a response, just to get satisfaction on something that seems like it should be basic.” (12:22)

• Rollout Status & Privacy Concerns

  • The service is invite-only, with a waiting list available via OpenAI’s website. No one in Cary’s network has access at recording time.
  • OpenAI claims chats will be encrypted, private, and not used for training the model. However, Cary rightly points out these are currently “just terms at the moment” until proven by experience.
  • Cary used ChatGPT previously to make sense of complex lab results in plain language — this sort of hands-on clarity is a key value proposition.
  • Frequently asked user questions, as surfaced by ChatGPT, include:
    • What is ChatGPT Health and how is it different from regular ChatGPT?
    • How is my medical data used and is it safe?
    • Can ChatGPT diagnose or replace a doctor?
    • What kind of questions is it best for?
    • What are the risks/limitations?

• Looking Forward

  • Cary asks the audience if they will try ChatGPT Health and muses on how the medical community may respond — as a threat or as a tool to aid personalization and efficiency.

  • “I'm interested to see how the healthcare community responds to this. Is it seen as a competitor or a challenge or a threat, or is it seen as a welcomed addition…?” (19:54)

2. Announcement: ChatGPT Ads

(24:31 – 34:10)

• What’s Changing?

  • Ads will begin appearing in the free and low-cost (ChatGPT Go) versions. Ads will be clearly indicated and separated from conversational outputs.

• Impact on Trust and Objectivity

  • Cary addresses a major listener concern:

    “…will the interactions of ChatGPT, will the information, the output and the work that you do be influenced by sponsors?” (25:44)

  • OpenAI claims ads won’t influence advice; product recommendations will be separated—e.g., shopping queries will return product suggestions, some with purchase links, but not in a hidden or persuasive manner.

• Monetization & Future Outlook

  • Ads represent potential billions in new revenue for OpenAI.
  • Cary expects ChatGPT Health and likely other specialized experiences to become paid services over time.

• Key Assurance from OpenAI

  • Ads are “clearly labeled,” answers come first, no hidden persuasion, and your info is not shared with advertisers.
  • Cary’s pragmatic view:

    “These are all questions that I get on a regular basis. Those are good questions. They should always be something that drives your use of a tool like ChatGPT and others—should always ask to verify the information and not trust everything at face value.” (30:19)

3. Listener Questions: The Mailbag

(34:45 – 51:10)

• William: Using ChatGPT for Book Writing

  • Cary distinguishes between having ChatGPT write versus helping you write. He recommends using ChatGPT as an interviewing/thought-organizing partner, not a ghostwriter.

  • “I use ChatGPT to write with me or to work with me rather than work for me or write for me. I think there's a major difference there.” (36:25)

  • Reference: Episode 56 (book writing, business example).

• Christina: Difference Between Chats and Projects

  • Briefly, projects enable focused, role-specific, multi-step work with ChatGPT, easier resource management, and “memory” within the project.
  • Reference: Episode 87 (projects deep dive).

• Vito: ChatGPT as a Motivation Partner

  • Cary recommends using ChatGPT for daily structure and personal motivation, especially at New Year’s resolution time.
  • References: Episodes 66, 67, 69 (“second brain,” motivation, and getting unstuck).

• James: Performance Differences Across Devices

  • No inherent difference in ChatGPT’s intelligence/performance between mobile, desktop, or app. How users engage (depth/detail) may vary by device, but not model capability.
  • Voice-to-text tips: For extended voice input, use system-level dictation on PC/Mac for workarounds.
  • Reference: Episode 12 (voice to text setup, with links in show notes).

• Favorite Foundational Episodes

  • Episode 71: “The Amazing Intern”—framework for using AI as an intern/assistant.
  • Episode 85: Four-part framework for better ChatGPT results.
  • Cary:

    "Combining 71 with 85 I think would be a terrific way to take a look at your mindset, your approach, no matter what you're doing with ChatGPT…" (50:15)

4. Listener Shout Outs & Community Highlights

(51:12 – 56:45)

• Craig Scott (UK):
  Shared insights on AI governance and risk in corporate contexts; Cary recommends Craig’s LinkedIn for those dealing with AI policy concerns.

• Jody Harlow (Australia, Basketball Victoria):
  Jody uses AI to improve the productivity of community sports boards. Cary:

  “If you're going to get people to volunteer, they might as well feel or they should feel like they're making progress…” (53:15)

• Rebecca:
  Shared her "three words for 2026": make, growth, connect, including her passion for glass fusing and working to build connections as she works from home.

  “[Rebecca’s] three words for 2026. And Rebecca, thank you for sharing that and the photo. Beautiful work and I, I hope you, I hope you do more of it because that's, that's great. I appreciate you sharing good stuff.” (56:30)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The days of getting personalized attention from someone that really, deeply understands you seems to be a thing of memory, which is unfortunate.” (11:53, Cary)
• “The ability of taking something that's really complicated like a four page blood lab result and feeding it into ChatGPT and just saying hey listen, make sense of this for me…That alone has been very beneficial to me.” (17:52, Cary)
• “Trust but verify authenticity. Can I trust it? Is this real? Are we hallucinating? Is this being influenced by something? These are all questions that I get on a regular basis.” (29:47, Cary)
• “…I use ChatGPT to write with me or to work with me rather than work for me or write for me. I think there's a major difference there.” (36:25, Cary)
• “Your own curiosity is the key to being more productive with tools like ChatGPT.” (56:40, Cary — closing thought)

Episode Structure & Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 06:32 | ChatGPT Health—features, impact, and privacy | | 19:54 | Reflections on the healthcare system and medical decentralization | | 24:31 | ChatGPT and ads—rollout details and concerns about objectivity | | 34:45 | Listener questions: book writing, chat vs project, using ChatGPT for motivation, devices | | 51:12 | Community shout outs: Craig, Jody, Rebecca | | 56:40 | Cary’s closing thought on curiosity and productivity |

Tone & Language

Cary is conversational, reassuring, and practical throughout, using anecdotes, everyday language, and gentle humor to keep the discussion accessible. He frequently invites listeners to “stay curious,” emphasizes trust and critical thinking, and relates AI tools to tangible everyday scenarios.

For Further Listening

Cary references past episodes for deeper dives:

• Episode 56: Book writing with ChatGPT
• Episodes 66, 67, 69: Motivation and productivity strategies
• Episode 71: The "Amazing Intern" framework for AI
• Episode 85: The four-part ChatGPT results framework
• Episode 87: Using projects in ChatGPT
• Episode 12: Setting up voice-to-text

Find all episodes and show notes on chatgpt experiment.com.

Summary prepared for listeners seeking actionable insights and a full understanding of episode 97, minus the ads and housekeeping.