# Where people draw the line on AI in healthcare

Canonical page: https://data.verasight.io/ai/where-people-draw-the-line-on-ai-in-healthcare/
Published: 2026-05-29

> Featured topic in AI & Tech.

Adults show some recent AI health use, but they still reserve several healthcare tasks for human providers.

## Overview: AI in healthcare

AI health tools are part of the landscape, but the strongest signal in this cluster is caution around high-stakes care.

Adults report limited recent use, low mental-health disclosure to AI tools, and little willingness to pay for a researcher-developed AI nutrition chatbot.

## Human providers still hold the boundary

Human-provider preference is clearest around medication decisions, with 62.9% saying they would only trust a human provider to adjust medicines.

Majorities also reserved medication concerns, emotional support, and medicine necessity decisions for human providers.

## Recent use remains limited

A 55.7% majority said they had not used AI-based tools for health in the past three months.

Another 84.4% said they had not disclosed mental health concerns to AI tools such as ChatGPT, and 75.6% said they would not pay for an AI nutrition chatbot developed by researchers.

## Views of AI consciousness add context

Views on whether large language models have consciousness or sentience are split across rejection, future possibility, current belief, and uncertainty.

## Supporting evidence

### 62.9% would only trust a human provider to adjust medicines.

Question: For which of these tasks would you only trust a human healthcare provider versus an AI agent?

Note: Most adults would only trust a human healthcare provider for adjusting medicines, emotional support, and medication concerns.

Topline:

- Adjusting your medicines: 62.9%
- Addressing your concerns about your medicines: 57.5%
- Emotional support: 54.8%
- Telling you whether your medicine is necessary: 53.3%
- Interpreting your lab data, medication or health record information: 50.9%

### 55.7% reported no recent AI-based health-tool use.

Question: In the past 3 months, what have you used AI-based tools (e.g., ChatGPT) for related to your health?

Note: A majority reported no AI-based health-tool use in the past three months, while about one-quarter used AI to understand a condition, symptom, or diagnosis.

Topline:

- None of the above: 55.7%
- Understanding a health condition, symptom, or diagnosis: 27.0%
- Learning about medications or treatments: 19.8%
- Diet, nutrition, or meal planning: 15.4%
- Physical activity or lifestyle improvement: 12.5%

### 75.6% would not pay for an AI nutrition chatbot.

Question: What is the maximum you would pay monthly for an artificial intelligence (AI) nutrition chatbot developed by researchers?

Note: Three-quarters said they would not pay for an AI nutrition chatbot developed by researchers.

Topline:

- $0 / I would not pay for this: 75.6%
- Up to $5: 10.1%
- $5 to $10: 8.2%
- $10 to $20: 4.4%
- $20 to $30: 1.5%

## Methodology

- Mode: Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
- Population: US adults age 18+
- Field dates: 2026-05-01 → 2026-05-04
- Base (unweighted): 1,000
- Margin of error: +/- 3.3%
- Module: 2
- Sponsor: Verasight
- Weight variable: weight
- Weighting targets: age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status

## Sources

- [For which of these tasks would you only trust a human healthcare provider versus an AI agent?](https://reports.verasight.io/r/sbm-2026#q-B.8): reports.verasight.io/r/sbm-2026: Most adults would only trust a human healthcare provider for adjusting medicines, emotional support, and medication concerns.
- [In the past 3 months, what have you used AI-based tools (e.g., ChatGPT) for related to your health?](https://reports.verasight.io/r/sbm-2026#q-B.9): reports.verasight.io/r/sbm-2026: A majority reported no AI-based health-tool use in the past three months, while about one-quarter used AI to understand a condition, symptom, or diagnosis.
- [Have you ever disclosed your mental health concerns to any AI tools, such as ChatGPT?](https://reports.verasight.io/r/sbm-2026#q-B.12): reports.verasight.io/r/sbm-2026: More than eight-in-ten adults said they have not disclosed mental health concerns to AI tools such as ChatGPT.
- [What is the maximum you would pay monthly for an artificial intelligence (AI) nutrition chatbot developed by researchers?](https://reports.verasight.io/r/sbm-2026#q-B.32): reports.verasight.io/r/sbm-2026: Three-quarters said they would not pay for an AI nutrition chatbot developed by researchers.
- [Do you believe large language models (i.e., ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) have any level of consciousness or sentience?](https://reports.verasight.io/r/sbm-2026#q-B.13): reports.verasight.io/r/sbm-2026: Views on large language model consciousness are split across rejection, future possibility, current belief, and uncertainty.

## Citation

SBM Omnibus Survey #2026-049, fielded May 1-4, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.3%.

Canonical question URL: [https://reports.verasight.io/r/sbm-2026#q-B.8](https://reports.verasight.io/r/sbm-2026#q-B.8)