Your doctor’s office closed hours ago, but you’re in pain or experiencing concerning symptoms. If you’re like 70 percent of adults, your next step is to pull out your phone and ask AI in hopes of getting some fast and free medical advice, a shift that represents a major change in how the public seeks answers for health care.
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The practice grew in popularity with Black adults, younger adults and uninsured adults who may lack easy access to primary care. Health policy and polling organization KFF found that 21 percent of uninsured Black adults relied on AI for mental health support, creating a digital bridge to care.
But now WXYZ, a Detroit news outlet, is sharing the results of a study conducted by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, which found that consumer trust in AI as a medical decision-making tool is waning.
According to the outlet, 42 percent of people support the use of AI in health care. That’s a 10-percent drop from two years ago. The survey found that people use AI for symptom recognition, test result or medical diagnosis explanations, treatment decisions and appointment preparation. Despite this drop, many still find value in AI as a tool for translating complex medical jargon into layman’s terms.
WXYZ noted that the drop in use may be connected to public awareness of AI hallucinations, which occur when models generate false or misleading information and present it as fact. There are also growing concerns about how safe personal information is on platforms.
The findings echo a 2024 NIH study that highlighted the risks and benefits of using AI in medical decision-making. While the AI model accurately answered diagnostic medical questions using clinical images and brief text, the study revealed significant weaknesses in image interpretation and in explaining its reasoning.
Despite the challenges, it’s probably unlikely that people will stop using AI as part of medical decision-making entirely. For many, the technology serves as a vital solution in a system that feels increasingly overburdened.
“There are challenges getting answers from doctors because of how busy the healthcare system is and how complicated it is,” Dr. Hiten Patel told WXYZ.
His observations reflect the reality that for many patients, AI is a necessary survival tool in the medical landscape.
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