1 in 7 People Now Ask AI Instead of Seeing a GP, Study Finds

A new UK study says one in seven people are already using chatbots for health advice instead of contacting a GP or another NHS service. One in ten say they have used AI for mental-health therapy or wellbeing support instead of seeing a trained professional. 25% of people making the switch to digital, unregulated medical advice cite long NHS wait times as part of the reason, 20% of people said AI did not encourage them to seek professional help, and 21% said they decided against professional advice because of what a chatbot told them.

The new study by King’s Health Partners reveals a worrying change in behaviour rather than a passing curiosity. According to the results, people have transitioned beyond just asking ChatGPT if their headache may be down to stress, and we’re seeing a growing share of the public letting unregulated consumer AI models shape decisions about whether or not to see a GP. Professor Graham Lord, the lead author, said the country is seeing “an unregulated AI healthcare system alongside the NHS.”

Along with Responsible AI UK and the Policy Institute at King’s College London, King’s Health Partners surveyed more than 2,000 adults and found that convenience was the biggest reason people turned to chatbots for medical advice, cited as 46% of adults, followed by “curiosity” at 45%, uncertainty about whether the issue was serious enough for a GP at 39%, and NHS waiting times at 25%. The combination of frustration, convenience, and doubt is a revealing one, as it means people are not turning to AI because they trust it more than professionals. Instead, they are using chatbots simply because they are easier, faster, and more available....<<<Read More>>>...