KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust: Use of AI for Health Information and Advice

Key Findings

• — 32% of adults had used an AI tool for physical or mental health information or advice in the past year: 29% for physical health and 16% for mental health or emotional wellbeing (28% of 18 to 29 year olds versus 8% of those 50 and over; 30% of the uninsured versus 14% of the insured).
• — Among mental-health users (n = 234), 55% used AI to talk through personal mental-health concerns 'like a conversation with a companion', 69% for coping advice, 69% to look up symptoms, 61% to compare treatment options and 44% to decide whether to seek professional care.
• — 58% of mental-health users did not follow up with a doctor, therapist or other mental-health professional afterwards (42% did); for physical health 42% did not follow up (n = 407).
• — Satisfaction and trust diverge: 85% of mental-health users were very or somewhat satisfied with the AI response, but only 23% of all adults trust AI tools a great deal or a fair amount for reliable mental-health information (33% for health generally, up from 29% in June 2024).
• — 39% of adults actively use AI tools at least several times a week; 80% encounter AI-generated content such as search summaries that often.

Methodology Notes

KFF Health Tracking Poll / Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust, fielded 24 February to 2 March 2026 online and by telephone in English (n = 1,268) and Spanish (n = 75): 1,019 SSRS Opinion Panel members (probability-based, ABS and RDD recruited) plus 324 prepaid-cell RDD respondents; weighted to the 2024 CPS and KFF benchmarks; margin of sampling error plus or minus 3 points for the full sample and plus or minus 8 for mental-health AI users (n = 234). Subgroup items are based on those who used AI for the relevant purpose in the past year. Topline PDF (21 pages) published with the report.

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