One in seven use chatbots instead of contacting GP

Getty/mihailomilovanovic

By Olivia Bowthorpe

One in seven adults in the UK report used AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude or Microsoft Copilot for health advice instead of contacting a GP or NHS service.

In a public attitudes survey on AI in healthcare, one in 10 said they had used AI instead of seeing a trained mental health professional.

But three-quarters of people in the UK feel that AI tools used in patient care need to be formally approved and regulated, the research from King’s College London found.

The study identified widespread concerns about the technology, with anxiety over safety and accuracy when AI is used by clinicians in the NHS.

In a report outlining the findings, the researchers said while the government pushes ahead with plans to expand the use of AI in healthcare, the public want to see tighter oversight and consent.

Professor Graham Lord, executive director at King's Health Partners, and colleagues carried out a survey of 2,093 UK adults between 24 and 30 March this year. Of the respondents, 76% believed AI systems used in patient care should undergo official approval and regulation.

Only 17% thought doctors should be free to choose AI tools without formal oversight.

Respondents also expressed a strong preference for human involvement in medical decisions.

If an NHS-approved AI system disagreed with a doctor’s diagnosis, 55% said a second doctor should review the case before any action was taken. Only 7% said they would follow the AI’s advice on the basis that it might be more accurate.

Respondents said they trusted doctors more than AI, particularly for psychological therapy.

But the report also noted that AI chatbots are already influencing how some people seek healthcare.

Among those who had sought health advice from AI, 21% said they had decided against seeking professional healthcare advice because of something a chatbot had told them.

Younger adults were more sceptical about the use of AI in healthcare than other age groups. Nearly half of 18-to-24- year- olds said they opposed AI being used in clinical decision-making in the NHS, compared with just over a third of people aged 65 and over.

Women were also significantly more likely than men to express concern about AI safety and to oppose the use of AI in clinical decision-making.

"This research underlines the scale and pace at which AI is already shaping how people access healthcare. While the opportunities are significant, it also highlights concerns about safety and accountability,” Lord said.

"When something goes wrong with AI, responsibility is often placed on clinicians, even where they have limited control over how AI tools are introduced.

“To realise AI’s potential, we need greater transparency about what works, what is safe, how decisions are made, and how issues are handled - so staff and patients can feel confident in its use."

Amy Clark, senior policy fellow at King's College London, concluded: “These findings reveal a striking gap between how AI is being used for health and how the public feels about it. People are already turning to AI chatbots instead of their GP - driven by convenience and stretched NHS capacity - yet the wider public remains anxious about where this is heading."

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