Key takeaways:
- A quarter of Americans say they use AI chatbots to diagnose symptoms.
- Similar shares use them to better understand information they may have gotten from healthcare providers, like to learn more about a doctor’s diagnosis or understand lab results.
- Nearly all chatbot health users find this health information at least somewhat helpful.
- But these users are split on whether they feel comfortable sharing personal health information with chatbots.
More and more Americans are using AI chatbots, including turning to them for health information. These chatbot health users are motivated by a host of reasons, ranging from making diagnoses to learning about their lab results. And they generally find chatbot health information useful, according to a new Pew Research Center survey of 3,488 U.S. adults conducted June 22-28, 2026.
Building on the Center’s previous work on Americans’ health information sources, this report explores the “why” behind U.S. adults’ use of chatbots for health. This analysis also looks at how helpful chatbot health users find this information, and how comfortable they are sharing personal health information with a chatbot.
Why do Americans use chatbots for health information?
Americans use chatbots for a host of health-related reasons, from helping make diagnoses on their own to learning more about information they may have gotten from a doctor.
“From Diagnoses to Treatments, Why Americans Use AI Chatbots for Health”
| Reason | Group | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| To get health information quickly | Main | 28 |
| To figure out what’s causing symptoms | Main | 25 |
| To get health information at little to no cost | Main | 22 |
| To get health information about treatments | Main | 22 |
| To learn more about a diagnosis from a doctor | Main | 22 |
| To help understand lab results | Main | 20 |
| To get health information you are uncomfortable talking about | Main | 18 |
| To help decide whether to go to a doctor | Main | 15 |
| NET ever use AI chatbots for at least one of these health and medical reasons | Net | 34 |
“From Diagnoses to Treatments, Why Americans Use AI Chatbots for Health”
In all, 34% of Americans ever use AI chatbots for at least one of the eight health and medical reasons we asked about. We refer to this share as chatbot health users.
Nearly all of these users cite multiple reasons for using these tools for health.
About three-in-ten U.S. adults (28%) say getting health information quickly is a motivation for using chatbots. This aligns with previous Center research showing that convenience is a factor chatbot health users rate highly.
Other reasons have to do with figuring out what’s causing symptoms or better understanding medical information they may have gotten elsewhere. This includes understanding lab results and learning more about treatments or a doctor’s diagnosis. These motivations were cited by 20% to 25% of Americans.
A similar share (22%) say they turn to chatbots because they are low-cost or free.
Other reasons they use chatbots for health are to help decide whether to see a doctor (15%) or to get health information they’re uncomfortable talking about (18%).
*Related:*Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact
*Related:*Where Do Americans Get Health Information, and What Do They Trust?
Who is more likely to use chatbots for health?
Note: Chatbot health users are those who say they ever use chatbots for at least one of the eight health reasons asked about. White, Black and Asian adults include those who report being only one race and are not Hispanic. Hispanic adults are of any race. Family income tiers are based on adjusted 2024 earnings.
“From Diagnoses to Treatments, Why Americans Use AI Chatbots for Health”
| Percentage | |
|---|---|
| U.S. adults | 34 |
| White | 29 |
| Hispanic | 39 |
| Black | 35 |
| Asian* | 56 |
| Ages 18-29 | 44 |
| 30-49 | 40 |
| 50-64 | 32 |
| 65+ | 17 |
| College grad+ | 44 |
| Some college | 34 |
| HS or less | 23 |
| Upper income | 48 |
| Middle income | 33 |
| Lower income | 28 |
| Among those who say increased use makes them feel… | |
| More excited about AI | 60 |
| Equally concerned/excited about AI | 45 |
| More concerned about AI | 21 |
Note: Chatbot health users are those who say they ever use chatbots for at least one of the eight health reasons asked about. White, Black and Asian adults include those who report being only one race and are not Hispanic. Hispanic adults are of any race. Family income tiers are based on adjusted 2024 earnings.
“From Diagnoses to Treatments, Why Americans Use AI Chatbots for Health”
Several demographic groups are more likely to be chatbot health users: Asian Americans, adults under 50, four-year college graduates, and upper-income adults.
These demographic patterns in chatbot health users are similar to overall chatbot use.
And overall optimism about AI plays a role as well. Adults who are more concerned about the increased use of AI are far less likely to be chatbot health users than those who are more excited about these technologies (21% vs. 60%).
*Related:*Young adults in the U.S. are increasingly wary of AI and concerned about it taking jobs
How helpful are chatbots for health?
A majority of chatbot health users see value in using these tools for health information. About half of these users (47%) say the information they get is extremely or very helpful, while 48% say it is somewhat helpful. Very few (5%) say this information is not too or not at all helpful.
“From Diagnoses to Treatments, Why Americans Use AI Chatbots for Health”
| Extremely/Very | Somewhat | Not too/Not at all | |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. adults | 47 | 48 | 5 |
“From Diagnoses to Treatments, Why Americans Use AI Chatbots for Health”
How comfortable are chatbot health users with sharing personal health information with these tools?
“From Diagnoses to Treatments, Why Americans Use Chatbots for Health”
| Extremely/Very | Somewhat | Not too/Not at all | |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. adults | 29 | 42 | 26 |
“From Diagnoses to Treatments, Why Americans Use Chatbots for Health”
While chatbot health users find these tools helpful, they have varying comfort levels sharing personal health information with chatbots. This comes at a time when some platforms have faced scrutiny for storing and selling people’s health data or using it to train large language models. Alongside this, some tech companies are unveiling chatbot tools for healthcare. Chatbot health users are about as likely to be extremely or very comfortable (29%) sharing personal health information with a chatbot as they are to be not too or not at all comfortable (26%). The largest share sits in the middle, saying they would be somewhat comfortable doing this (42%).