Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly shaping our day-to-day lives, and it is also changing how healthcare systems operate. As AI tools become more common in healthcare, an important question emerges: How do patients feel about AI being used in their medical care?
At the 2025 American Public Health Association Annual Meeting, Verasight invited more than 1,000 respondents to participate in a survey that included several questions focused on AI in healthcare. The results offer insight into public expectations around transparency, consent, and trust.
One of the clearest findings from the survey is that people want a say when AI is involved in medical decision making, especially when it comes to diagnosis or treatment. When asked in the survey, if participants want to be notified that their healthcare system uses AI for treatment or diagnostics:
- 54% want to give permission each time before AI is used
- 32% want to be notified each time, but do not need to give permission
- Only 14% do not want to be notified or asked for permission
This means that a strong majority expect transparency or consent when AI plays a role in clinical care.
While there is caution around AI making clinical decisions, many respondents see potential benefits when AI is used to support understanding, not replace providers. When asked whether AI tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or Microsoft Copilot could help explain health information in plain language:
- 56% agreed or strongly agreed
- 25% felt neutral
This suggests that AI may be most welcomed when it functions as a health literacy tool to help patients navigate complex medical information, ask better questions, and feel more informed during care.
For Indigenous communities facing limited access to care or historical mistrust in medical systems, this kind of support could be especially impactful when paired with culturally grounded communication.
As AI continues to enter healthcare spaces, listening to patient perspectives is important. How AI is implemented, whether it is done transparently and with respect for patient choice, will determine whether these tools strengthen trust or create new barriers to care.