Traditionally, individuals asked health questions of their primary health care provider. Confidence in that provider as a source of trustworthy health information has been consistently high in recent years and was at 90% in April, according to survey data from the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania.
The rise of the internet created ready access to a second source of expert health knowledge – government health authorities such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and National Institutes of Health (NIH). Although confidence in these sources eroded during the Covid-19 pandemic, relative to most other institutions confidence in these institutions has remained high, ranging from 66%-68% in April for the three health agencies.
The advent of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has added a third source of health knowledge and recommendations. Whether this source is trusted – and, if so, to what extent – is an open question, but its presence is all but unavoidable. A Google search for the answer to a health question, for example, will elicit a response led by an "AI Overview" of the search results containing a disclaimer in small print at the end: "This is for informational purposes only. For medical advice or diagnosis, consult a professional. AI responses may include mistakes."
Although Google notes that its AI summaries may not be accurate, vast numbers of Americans are exposed to these answers and most consider them reliable, according to the latest APPC health survey. Conducted in April 2025 with over 1,600 U.S. adults, the survey finds that nearly 8 in 10 adults say they're likely to go online to answer a specific question about health symptoms or a health condition. Nearly two-thirds of this group say they have seen AI-generated responses.
Highlights
The Annenberg Public Policy Center's April 2025 health survey finds that:
- Most (79%) U.S. adults say they're likely to look online for the answer to a question about a health symptom or condition.
- Three-quarters (75%) of people who search online say that AI-generated responses provide them "sometimes" (45%) or "often or more" (31%) with the answer they need.
- Most Americans (63%) think AI-generated health information is somewhat (55%) or very (8%) reliable.
- Nearly half (49%) are not comfortable with health care providers using AI tools rather than their experience alone when making decisions about their care.
Almost 1 in 3 people (31%) who use an online search engine to find health information say the AI-generated summary response often or always gives them the answer they need while another 45% say it sometimes gives them the answer they need. Nearly two-thirds (63%) find AI-generated results to be somewhat or very reliable. Yet at the same time, almost half of U.S. adults (49%) say they are not comfortable with health care providers using AI tools rather than their experience alone when making decisions about their care.
"Despite the disclaimers that accompany some AI-generated summaries, there is potential for confusion and even harm among vulnerable individuals if they are not aware that these responses are not a substitute for the personalized expert health guidance that their health care provider can offer," says Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center and co-editor of the book "Realizing the Promise and Minimizing the Perils of AI for Science and the Scientific Community" (Penn Press, 2024), which is available at no cost online.
APPC research analyst Laura A. Gibson added, "AI platforms are not necessarily updated in real time and may contain outdated information. Skepticism is warranted."
Where do people seek health information online?
While most people say they seek online health information, there isn't a single source or type of source to which they turn. The survey finds that the most popular resources are search engines such as Google or Bing, with 71% of respondents saying they often or occasionally get health information from these types of sources. Following search engines, the most common sources people report using are online web sources (48%) like WebMD or healthline.com; websites of large medical research and clinical entities (44%) such as the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic; nonprofit organizations (37%) focused on specific topics like the American Cancer Society (cancer.org), American Heart Association (heart.org), and American Diabetes Association (diabetes.org); and federal government resources (35%) such as the CDC, the NIH, and the FDA.
Fewer people report getting information often or occasionally from state or local government health sites (14%), podcasts (18%), the World Health Organization (19%), or social media sources like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, YouTube, or Reddit (24%).
Most say AI-generated health information provides what they need and is reliable
Among users who say they search for health information online, nearly two-thirds (65%) report that they have seen AI-generated responses at the top of the results on search engines. On Google, for example, this is labeled an "AI Overview," and on Bing, as a "Copilot Answer."
Seniors age 65 or older who say they search for health information online are significantly less likely than younger people to say they've seen AI-generated health responses atop their search results. Under half (49%) of those age 65+ say they have seen AI health responses, compared with 69% of 18- to 34-year-olds, 75% of 35- to 49-year-olds, and 63% of 50- to 64-year-olds.
Among those who have seen AI-generated responses at the top of results when searching for health information, more than 3 in 10 (31%) say AI always (4%) or often (26%) provides them with "the answer you need." Nearly half (45%) say AI sometimes gives them the response they need. About 1 in 5 (18%) say they rarely (13%) or never (6%) get the answer they need and 6% were unsure.
Most people who search for health-related information don't stop with an AI-generated response. About two-thirds (65%) say they always (31%) or often (34%) continue searching by following links to specific websites or other resources. Another quarter (24%) say they sometimes follow the links, while 8% rarely or never go beyond the AI-generated response.
Most people who search for health information online say they find AI-generated health information to be reliable. Nearly two-thirds (63%) find the information to be reliable, with 55% saying the information is somewhat reliable and 8% saying it is very reliable. A quarter of online searchers (25%) say AI-generated health information is generally unreliable.
Sharing online health information with one's health care provider
When visiting their doctor or health care provider, few people who search for health information online (12%) say they always or often talk with their doctor or health care provider about health information they saw online. Two-fifths (40%) sometimes do and nearly half say they do so rarely (29%) or never (17%).
Among people who regularly visit their health care provider and search for online health information, most agree (80%) that their health care providers are generally good at explaining health issues and treatments to them. Nevertheless, respondents are mixed about whether their health care providers are dismissive or do not have the time to discuss online health information they bring to their visits. A third (32%) say there's usually not enough time at medical appointments to talk with their providers about health information they saw online and 40% feel there is enough time, while 28% neither agree nor disagree. As for the providers' receptivity to the online information brought in by a patient, 22% agree health care providers will dismiss what they bring in, but 37% disagree with that statement. Four in 10 (41%) neither agree nor disagree.
Are you comfortable with health care providers using AI tools?
Nearly half of those surveyed (49%) say they are not comfortable with health care providers using health care AI tools rather than their experience alone when making decisions about the patient's care. More than a third (36%), however, express at least some comfort with their health care providers using AI tools beyond their own expertise/experience.
Despite the widespread unease with health care providers using AI, more than 4 in 10 people surveyed (41%) think their health care provider regularly uses health care AI tools sometimes (31%), often (9%), or always (1%), rather than their experience alone when making decisions about patient care. Over a quarter (26%) say their health care providers rarely or never use AI, while a third (33%) are not sure whether they use AI or not.
Many use smart devices to track their health data
Overall, 93% of respondents say they own a smartphone or smartwatch. Adults 65 and older are significantly less likely (83%) to own one than younger people, who range by age group from 98% to 95%.
About 6 in 10 (59%) smart device users – phone or watch – report that they use an app on their device that summarizes health information, such as steps per day, sleep time and sleep quality, or heart health. Forty percent of device users say they do not use such an app on their device. By age, those with a smart device who are between the ages of 18 and 34 (62%) and 35 and 49 (61%) are significantly more likely to say they use such an app than those age 65 or older (51%).
A majority of smart device users (52%) say they'd be likely to share some of their summary health information with their doctor or other health care provider. This includes the 3% who say they do so already. More than a third (36%) say they are not likely to share this information with their health care provider.
While a sizable number of smart device users do not wish to share their summary health care data with their doctors or health care providers, the vast majority of survey respondents are comfortable having their pharmacies send them alerts about their prescriptions. Eight in 10 of respondents say they either already get alerts (31%) from their pharmacies or would be likely to sign up for such alerts (49%).
The Annenberg Science and Public Health survey
The survey data come from the 24th wave of a nationally representative panel of 1,653 U.S. adults conducted for the Annenberg Public Policy Center by SSRS, an independent market research company. Most have been empaneled since April 2021. To account for attrition, replenishment samples have been added over time using a random probability sampling design. The most recent replenishment, in September 2024, added 360 respondents to the sample. This wave of the Annenberg Science and Public Health (ASAPH) survey was fielded April 15-28, 2025. The margin of sampling error (MOE) is ± 3.4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. All figures are rounded to the nearest whole number and may not add to 100%. Combined subcategories may not add to totals in the topline and text due to rounding.
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