A recent KFF Tracking Poll finds that about a third of U.S. adults have turned to AI chatbots for health information and advice in the past year. A separate West Health-Gallup survey reported a similar trend, with about one in four adults doing the same.
Below are key highlights from the KFF poll:
- How common it is. KFF found that 32% of adults used AI for health information in the past year. That splits into 29% for physical health and 16% for mental health. The share roughly matches social media at 29%. It still trails doctors at 80% and search engines at 68%.
- Who turns to it, and why. KFF reports that most users wanted quick advice. Many also look things up before or after seeing a provider, or value the privacy. Younger adults, uninsured adults, and people of color are more likely to use AI for health questions, including mental health.
- Access and cost play a role. About one in five AI health users said they lacked a provider or could not get an appointment. That figure rose to 38% among adults aged 18 to 29. Cost was a barrier for many younger users too.
- A privacy paradox. KFF found that 41% of AI health users uploaded personal medical information, such as test results or doctors’ notes. That works out to about 13% of all adults. Yet 77% of the public worries about the privacy of medical data shared with AI. Even among those who shared such data, 65% stay concerned.
A separate West Health-Gallup survey, conducted in late 2025, found that 25% of Americans had used AI for health information or advice. Most treated it as a supplement to regular care. About 59% used it to research before a doctor’s visit, and 56% afterward.
Jon Rae Daly of Gallup said many people treat AI as “a tool to complement their health care.” But the data suggests it can still shape decisions in meaningful ways: 14% of recent users said AI advice led them to skip a provider visit, affecting an estimated 14 million adults. Even so, trust remains cautious, with only about a third of users saying they trust the information.
Acknowledgement: This summary was generated using AI writing tools as part of my AI Explorations process. For more, see the original articles linked below.