Americans are asking AI about their health. Here's where it goes wrong

Americans are increasingly using AI for health information, but experts warn it can go wrong when users treat it like medical care. KFF polling cited by the article says about 30% of U.S. adults turn to AI for health advice each month, nearly doubling over two years. Physicians and health system leaders say AI’s speed and plain language are attractive, yet it is not a doctor and should be used to prepare questions for clinicians rather than to diagnose, delay care, or change prescriptions. Internal medicine physician Kathrine Schmidt recommends using AI as a starting point and an educational tool, while Bon Secours Mercy Health’s Dylan Clark frames it as a “health encyclopedia.” Christ Hospital Health Network’s Marcus Romanello cautions that AI can be overconfident, hallucinate, and provide responses that are harder to recognize as dangerous, urging users to request citations and verify sources.