A new KFF tracking poll suggests that AI is becoming a mainstream source of health information. About one-third of U.S. adults say they used AI chatbots for health information or advice over the past 12 months.



According to KFF, 32% of adults in the U.S. used AI chatbots for health information or advice in the past year. That is roughly on par with social media as a health information source (29%), though still below doctors (80%) and internet search engines (68%).

One of the most important findings concerns what happens next. Among those who used AI for physical health advice, 42% said they did not follow up with a doctor. Among those who used AI for mental health or emotional wellbeing advice, 58% said they did not follow up with a mental health professional.

The poll also indicates that people often turn to AI because it is fast and immediate, while affordability and access barriers remain an important driver for some users. The survey was conducted among 1,343 U.S. adults from February 24 to March 2, 2026, with a margin of error of ±3 percentage points for the full sample.