About one-quarter of U.S. adults have used artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT for health information or advice in the past 30 days, according to a Gallup poll conducted in late 2025. The trend reflects a significant shift in how Americans seek medical guidance, with many turning to AI chatbots as a faster alternative to traditional web searches or waiting for doctor appointments .

Why Are Americans Turning to AI for Health Questions?

The reasons Americans reach for ChatGPT and similar tools vary widely. Most users, about 7 in 10, say they want quick answers, additional information, or are simply curious about their symptoms. Others use AI to research health topics before visiting a doctor or to better understand medical advice after an appointment .

Tiffany Davis, a 42-year-old from Mesquite, Texas, exemplifies this trend. When she has questions about side effects from weight-loss injections she is taking, she consults ChatGPT instead of calling her doctor. "I'll just basically let ChatGPT know my status, how I'm feeling," Davis explained. "I use it for anything that I'm experiencing" .

Dr. Karandeep Singh, chief health AI officer at the University of California San Diego Health, frames AI tools as an evolution of a behavior Americans have practiced for decades. He noted that many AI chatbots now incorporate web search capabilities, making them more useful than traditional search engines for health research.

"I almost view it like a better entry portal into web search. Instead of someone having to comb through the top 10, 20, 30 links in a web search, they can now have an executive summary," Singh explained.

Dr. Karandeep Singh, Chief Health AI Officer at University of California San Diego Health

Is AI Filling a Gap in Healthcare Access?

While most Americans still seek professional medical care, data suggests some are turning to AI because they struggle to access or afford traditional healthcare. A significant share of respondents in the Gallup study cited barriers to in-person care, including cost, inconvenience, and time constraints .

The reasons people use AI for health advice instead of visiting a doctor include:

• Cost Concerns: About 3 in 10 respondents said they did not want to pay for a doctor's visit
• Scheduling Challenges: Roughly 2 in 10 did not have time to make an appointment or wanted help outside normal business hours
• Provider Barriers: About 2 in 10 had felt ignored or dismissed by a healthcare provider in the past or were too embarrassed to discuss their concerns with a person
• Accessibility Issues: About 4 in 10 wanted help outside of normal business hours when doctors' offices are closed

A KFF poll conducted in late February found that younger adults and lower-income people were particularly likely to use AI tools for health information because they could not afford professional care or were having trouble accessing healthcare .

What Do Experts Say About Trusting AI Health Advice?

Despite the growing adoption of AI for health questions, trust in these tools remains mixed. According to the Gallup poll, only about one-third of adults who recently used AI for health information said they "strongly" or "somewhat" trust the accuracy of the information provided. Another third distrusted it, while the remaining third neither trusted nor distrusted it .

Tech experts frequently warn that AI chatbots do not think for themselves and can sometimes generate false information. These concerns have reached even frequent users of the technology.

"It is an assistant but not an expert, and that's why physicians need to be involved in that care," said Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, an ear, nose and throat doctor and president of the American Medical Association.

Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, President of the American Medical Association

Mukkamala noted that he appreciates when patients arrive at appointments with research-backed questions from AI tools, but emphasized that AI should complement rather than replace professional medical judgment.

How to Use AI Health Tools Safely

• Verify Information with Professionals: Always discuss AI-generated health information with a doctor or qualified healthcare provider before making medical decisions
• Adjust Privacy Settings: Most AI tools have settings users can toggle to prevent their data from being used to train future models, though this requires active user management
• Be Cautious with Sensitive Information: Avoid sharing detailed personal medical history or identifying information with AI chatbots due to privacy risks
• Treat AI as a Starting Point: Use AI tools to gather general information or decide whether a symptom warrants professional attention, not as a substitute for medical expertise

Privacy concerns loom large for many Americans. About three-quarters of U.S. adults said they are "very concerned" or "somewhat concerned" about the privacy of personal medical information they provide to AI tools or chatbots, according to the KFF survey .

Singh acknowledged that most AI tools have privacy protections available, but cautioned that users must actively enable them. Last summer, internet users discovered that private ChatGPT conversations had been indexed on a public website without users realizing it, highlighting the risks of inattention to privacy settings .

Tamara Ruppart, a 47-year-old director in Los Angeles, decided the risks outweigh the benefits for her situation. With a family history of breast cancer, she prefers consulting doctors in her husband's family rather than relying on AI chatbots. "Health care is something that's pretty serious," Ruppart said. "And if it's wrong, you could really hurt yourself" .

The broader picture suggests that AI tools are becoming a routine part of how Americans approach health information, but they are not replacing traditional medical care. About 8 in 10 U.S. adults say they have sought out a doctor or other healthcare professional for health information in the past year, compared to about 3 in 10 who say the same about AI tools, according to the KFF poll . As AI adoption grows, experts emphasize the importance of treating these tools as supplements to, not substitutes for, professional medical guidance.

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