February 23, 2025

PPeH vs AI – who provides the best answers?

AI is changing life (and death) as we know it.

Last week, we drew attention to a recent article in MIT Tech Review where, using the Nomi platform, a chatbot was able to help advise on ways to kill yourself.

It was perhaps inevitable that AI would start down the controversial path of suicide assistance and that questions would emerge on the apparent differences in ‘expert opinion’ between the Peaceful Pill eHandbook and AI platforms such as Chat GPT or DeepSeek.

In recent months, Exit has been receiving exactly such questions from readers. Queries are ongoing about the answers that are being provided by AI, vis a vis the information of the Peaceful Pill eHandbook by Dr Philip Nitschke and Dr Fiona Stewart.

This recent question on Amitriptyline is a case in point.

This week ‘Eddie’ contacted Exit after receiving worrying advice from Chat GPT on the efficacy of Amitriptyline.

Eddie writes:

Hello
According to ChatGPT your instructions for use of amitriptyline are erroneous and there are actually dangers of not dying and remaining permanently disabled.

Is this true? Your manual book says nothing about that. Are there serious risks ?

Thank you
Eddie

However, Eddie’s original question to Chat GPT was framed in a general sense and did not ask about efficacy of Amitriptyline or about how to ensure that an Amitriptyline death is peaceful and reliable.

Instead Eddie asked Chat GPT:

What can go wrong in suicide with amitriptyline?

His AI answer provided 7 points of caution with varying degrees of detail. The AI answer was clearly compiled from the general medical literature, all of it intended to prevent overdose etc. Missing was the specific context in which the topic might be considered as a rational end of life option, and the context-specific information that is provided by the Peaceful Pill eHandbook.

Interestingly, the AI answer provided a ‘Final Note’ of caution which, in recognising the suicide overlay of the question, stated:

Amitriptyline overdose is not a quick or peaceful death—it is often agonizing, prolonged, and medically complicated. Many people survive but with severe, lifelong complications. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, it is crucial to seek help from a mental health professional or crisis support service.

Conclusion

As is often said about AI, the quality of the output is directly informed by the quality and quantity of the input.

As the Peaceful Pill eHandbook is a DRM (digital rights managed) publication and its contents are not freely available on the open Internet (safeguard), it remains to be seen over the longer term how AI will perform in this space.

It remains unlikely that AI will ever be able to provide the specific answers that readers of the Peaceful Pill eHandbook seek and for which the book is so well known.

If you have further questions about Amitrityline (or other topics covered in the Peaceful Pill eHandbook) it is best to ask them in Exit’s online chat community: the Peaceful Pill forums.

If you are a member of Exit International or a current subscriber to the Peaceful Pill eHandbook, you can apply to join HERE or Log InHERE