A recent study by Insuranceopedia reveals that over 15% of Americans have made medical decisions influenced by artificial intelligence without consulting a doctor first. Nearly one in six respondents (15.2%) admitted to altering their treatment plans based on AI suggestions. Comparatively, around 9% responded to medical billing issues guided by AI chatbots, and 8.9% utilized AI recommendations for selecting or adjusting health insurance plans.
The findings are particularly stark among younger adults, with more than 18% of those aged 18 to 24 making healthcare decisions based on chatbot advice. For those aged 25 to 34, this figure drops slightly to about 15%.
Max Coupland, CEO of Insuropedia, commented on the data, noting a concerning trend: “There are no significant differences in education or digital literacy affecting people’s decisions to follow AI medical advice without consulting physicians. This trend is troubling, as factors like affordability and convenience are now seemingly outweighing expert opinions.”
For millennials, 26% indicated they might opt to skip or postpone seeing a doctor based solely on AI counsel. Furthermore, nearly 19% of insured Americans aged 35 to 44 reported the same behavior.
While some enthusiasts advocate for the transformative potential of AI in the healthcare sector, experts have expressed concerns that such technology could exacerbate the problem of rising healthcare expenses.
Recently, multiple companies have begun efforts to develop new AI tools for healthcare purposes. In June, Nvidia announced plans to create an AI-native clinician intelligence platform.
The poll conducted by Insuranceopedia included responses from 1,250 insured U.S. adults and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
