Consumers are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence chatbots to obtain health information, according to a new report from Rock Health.
In the 2025 Digital Health Consumer Adoption Survey, 32% of respondents reported using AI chatbots to find health information, up from 16% in 2024. Researchers at the Digital Health Venture Fund surveyed 8,000 adults who responded to the U.S. Census in December 2025 about their attitudes and behaviors toward digital health tools and care.
This study was conducted before AI platforms introduced their own healthcare chatbot products, such as Microsoft’s Copilot Health and OpenAI’s ChatGPT Health.
“For many people, AI has quickly become a routine part of their health care,” the report said. “64 percent of AI users rely on AI weekly or more frequently for health-related questions.”
ChatGPT and Gemini are the top most used AI chatbots for health information, with 23% and 15% of respondents using the platforms, respectively. AI users most often search for treatment options based on diagnosis or search for pre-diagnosis based on symptoms.
The researchers note that AI is “becoming a single point of engagement for the entire healthcare experience,” where users can search for questions to ask when making an appointment, manage their mental health needs, or even search for a specific provider or clinic.
Following an AI chatbot query, users reported taking a variety of actions, including searching for more information (42%), consulting a provider (40%), talking to family and friends (35%), trying new health behaviors, advising others, rescheduling or booking medical appointments, and adjusting medications.
Despite their increasing prevalence, the report notes, there are concerns about using such tools to find medical information, including increased clinical accuracy and reduced use of the “I’m not a doctor” disclaimer.
The researchers also analyzed demographic indicators of AI users. 45% of Gen Z adults and 48% of Millennials reported using AI chatbots to find health information, while usage is lower among older generations.
Racial and ethnic minorities were also more likely to use chatbots for health care, but the researchers found that men were only slightly more likely to use AI than women.
As the use of AI increases among patients, the role of doctors “may shift” from being a primary source of information to a more guiding presence, the researchers said.
“The next chapter will reveal whether the system can balance these forces so that always-on availability does not exceed the standard of care and clinical rigor, privacy, and safety keep pace with consumer momentum,” the report states.
