Artificial intelligence is becoming another place people turn when they have a health question. That includes older Americans, who are using tools such as ChatGPT and voice assistants to look for information. A University of Michigan poll found 14% of adults 50 and older had used AI to get health information.
The appeal is easy to understand. AI can provide information quickly, explain complicated subjects and help people learn more about something a doctor told them. A 2026 Pew Research Center survey found Americans use chatbots for reasons including checking symptoms and better understanding diagnoses, lab results and treatments.
But families may want to remind parents that an AI chatbot isn’t a doctor. The University of Michigan’s Robin Brewer, who researches older adults and technology, has called for better guidance to help older adults safely navigate chatbot technology.
One good rule is to treat AI as a starting point, not the final answer. People can use it to learn what questions to ask their doctor, but important medical decisions should involve a qualified health care professional.
Privacy deserves attention, too. In Northeast Ohio, patients can link medical records to ChatGPT, a change that has brought both promise and concerns about privacy and relying too heavily on AI.
The issue has even reached Congress. A bipartisan Senate bill introduced in June calls for research into how AI affects older adults, including inaccurate health information, privacy and overreliance. – cleveland.com/Tribune News Service
