Nearly 3 in 10 U.S. adults now use AI tools for health information at least monthly, a figure that has nearly doubled over the last two years and now rivals the share of adults who seek health advice on social media, according to a June 17 KFF survey.
Here are 10 key findings from the survey:
- The KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust found that 29% of adults use AI tools or chatbots such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Claude for health information and advice at least monthly, up from 17% in June 2024.
- Thirty-one percent of adults said they use social media for health information at least once a month.
- Most adults said they either never or only occasionally use AI tools (71%) or social media (69%) for health information.
- Younger adults are more likely than older adults to use both AI and social media for health information, though adults ages 18 to 29 are more likely to rely on social media, while adults ages 30 to 49 are more likely to use AI tools.
- Social media use is more common among lower-income adults, while AI use is more prevalent among those with higher incomes and more education. Hispanic adults reported higher use of both sources than White adults.
- Among social media users, 36% cited learning from people with the same health condition or similar experiences as a major reason for seeking health information on those platforms. Another 35% said obtaining immediate information or support was a major reason.
- Some social media users cited healthcare access challenges as a reason for seeking health information on the platforms. Seventeen percent of social media users said not having a regular healthcare provider or being unable to afford care was a major reason for seeking health information through social media. That share was higher among uninsured adults and LGBTQ+ adults.
- Sixty-one percent said they were confident they could distinguish true from false health information on social media, while 56% said the same about information generated by AI chatbots.
- Confidence was higher for information from healthcare providers, with 80% saying they were confident they could determine whether information from a physician or other healthcare professional was true or false.
- The poll found relatively few social media users regularly verify information they find online. Thirty-six percent said they follow up with a physician or healthcare professional every time or most of the time after seeking health information on social media. Thirty-five percent said they consult another online source, such as health websites, and 21% said they check information against government health agency websites such as the CDC.
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