A growing share of Americans are using AI tools to answer health questions, often before or after doctor visits, driven by the need for quick, low-cost guidance. Roughly one-quarter of U.S. adults used an AI tool for health information in the prior month, according to a late-2025 West Health–Gallup poll, echoing similar surveys. About seven in ten users wanted immediate answers or extra context; many used AI to triage whether to seek care. Cost and convenience are part of the appeal: four in ten users sought help outside office hours, three in ten aimed to avoid a paid visit, and about two in ten cited time constraints, prior negative experiences, or embarrassment. Even so, traditional care remains dominant: KFF and Pew find large majorities still turn to clinicians most of the time for health information. Trust in AI is split—about one-third express confidence in its accuracy, one-third distrust it, and one-third are neutral—while privacy fears are widespread. Clinicians welcome better-prepared patients but warn chatbots are assistants, not substitutes. Experts also flag data risks; user settings can limit training on personal inputs, yet incidents of exposed chat histories underscore vulnerabilities.
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Ethics and governance of artificial intelligence for health (WHO)
