Consumers turning to AI

About one in four United States adults used an artificial intelligence tool for health information or advice in the past 30 days, according to a Gallup poll released Wednesday. (gallup.com) A separate Kaiser Family Foundation poll published March 25 found 32% of adults had used artificial intelligence chatbots for health information or advice in the past year, including 29% for physical health and 16% for mental health. (kff.org) Pew Research Center reported April 7 that 22% of Americans get health information from artificial intelligence chatbots at least sometimes, while 36% say the same about social media. Its survey of 5,111 adults was conducted October 20 to 26, 2025. (pewresearch.org) Most people using these tools say speed is the draw. Kaiser Family Foundation found 65% of users cited quick, immediate advice as a major reason, 41% said they wanted information before seeing a provider, and 36% said they felt more comfortable asking privately. (kff.org) The surveys also point to gaps in the health system, not just curiosity about new technology. Kaiser Family Foundation found about one in five artificial intelligence health users said not having a provider or being unable to get an appointment was a major reason, and one in five cited difficulty affording care. (kff.org) Those pressures are sharper for younger and lower-income adults. Among artificial intelligence health users, 38% of people ages 18 to 29 said lack of a provider or appointment access was a major reason, and 32% of users with incomes below $40,000 said cost was a major reason. (kff.org) Doctors and researchers say chatbots often act like a faster version of web search, but that does not make them reliable triage tools. In the Associated Press report on the Gallup findings, University of California San Diego Health chief health artificial intelligence officer Dr. Karandeep Singh said many tools now combine chatbot replies with web search. (abcnews.com) Recent research has also sharpened the warning signs. University of Oxford researchers said in February that people using large language models for medical decisions did no better than people relying on traditional online searches or their own judgment, and the systems could give inaccurate or inconsistent advice. (phc.ox.ac.uk) Mount Sinai researchers reported in August 2025 that widely used chatbots were vulnerable to repeating and elaborating on false medical information, though they said a built-in warning prompt reduced some of that risk. (mountsinai.org) Even with the rise in chatbot use, doctors remain the main source of health information. The Associated Press, citing the March Kaiser Family Foundation poll, reported that about 8 in 10 United States adults sought health information from a doctor or other health professional in the past year, compared with about 3 in 10 who said that about artificial intelligence tools and chatbots. (abcnews.com) Americans are using chatbots anyway, and many know the tradeoff. Pew found users of artificial intelligence chatbots for health information were more likely to call them convenient than accurate, while Kaiser Family Foundation found 77% of the public worried about the privacy of medical information shared with these tools. (pewresearch.org, kff.org)