New Survey Finds Declining Public Support for AI in Health Care

Results from a new survey commissioned by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center suggest that public comfort with AI in health care has declined, even as its use has rapidly expanded.

Only 42% of surveyed adults (n = 1,007) said they were open to the use of AI in their medical care, down significantly from 52% in 2024, when the survey was first conducted. Additionally, only 55% believed AI could make certain health-care processes more efficient, compared with 64% in 2024.

“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,” stated Ravi Tripathi, MD, Chief Health Informatics Officer at The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. He noted that the decline reflects familiar cycles of hype seen with other emerging technologies. “People are learning that there are pros and cons of AI, where it has actual use and where it really doesn't have a place. I think over the next 2 to 5 years, we'll definitely start to see that increase again as people understand what the true use of AI is and as it becomes just common day to all of health care technology.”

Other Key Findings

Just over half of survey respondents (51%) reported using AI to make important health decisions without consulting a medical professional. In contrast, about 20% said they use AI to prepare for an upcoming medical appointment.

Sixty-two percent of respondents reported using AI to help them understand their symptoms before deciding whether to seek medical care. Forty-four percent said they use AI to interpret test results or understand a medical diagnosis, and 25% reported using it to compare treatment options or inform treatment decisions.

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

Survey Methods

Survey responses were collected between January 16 and 20, 2026, via web (n = 977) and telephone (n = 30) using the SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus, a platform that conducts probability-based surveys twice per month. All data were weighted to reflect the U.S. adult population.

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