• Posted April 7, 2026

Americans May Be Losing Trust for AI in Health Care: Survey

The number of Americans who want artificial intelligence (AI) involved in their health care is declining, a new survey says.

Only 42% are open to AI being used as part of their care, down from 52% in 2024, according to the poll commissioned by Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center.

In addition, fewer people believe that AI can make health care more efficient, dropping from 64% to 55%, the survey showed.

This decline is on par with the natural hype cycle of any new technology, Dr. Ravi Tripathi, chief informatics officers at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, said in a news release.

“When we first see something new and shiny, we think it's going to fix the world and replace health care and solve all of our medical problems,” he said. 

“People are learning that there are pros and cons of artificial intelligence, where it has actual use and where it really doesn't have a place,” Tripathi said. “I think over the next two to five years, we'll definitely start to see that increase again as people understand what the true use of artificial intelligence is and as it becomes just common day to all of health care technology.”

Unfortunately, those who have faith in AI are using it in ways that could be detrimental to their health, experts said.

Medical professionals say AI shouldn’t be used to help make health care decisions.

But more than half of adults (51%) reported using AI to make an important decision about their health care, without consulting a doctor or other health care professional.

“We know that 2% of the time AI is going to be inaccurate or it will potentially hallucinate,” Tripathi said. “Physicians are not using AI 100%. We're not trusting it 100%. I would be really concerned about a patient who is following AI. The artificial intelligence doesn't understand your story.”

Tripathi said patients would be better off using AI in partnership with their doctor, to help understand their illness, symptoms or test results.

Poll results show many people are using AI in those ways, as well:

• 62% use AI to help understand symptoms before deciding whether to seek medical care.

• 44% use AI to help explain test results or a medical diagnosis.

• 25% use AI to compare treatment options or help make a treatment decision.

• 20% use AI to prepare for an upcoming medical appointment.

“There's a strong value for using artificial intelligence as augmented intelligence,” Tripathi said. “Patients should have oversight of what the technology is doing but consult with their health care team for the final plan.”

The survey involved 1,007 people, who responded online or by phone. It was conducted Jan. 16-20 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

More information

The World Economic Forum has more on AI in health care.

SOURCE: Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, news release, April 7, 2026