By Kerry Lindquist, Manager of Health Policy

Last month, I went for a run. I ate the same breakfast, did the same warm up, and ran the same 4-mile loop as always. But as the day went on, a new pain in my calf distracted me. Naturally, I googled, “Calf in pain after running, why?” After skimming the Gemini summary, I clicked on the first website, quickly accepting all cookies so I could start self-diagnosing. Still unconvinced (after all, the author didn’t know my situation), I consulted Claude. As I waited for the chatbot to seal my fate, I made a mental note to ask it to find in-network physical therapists near me, just in case. Claude said that my description sounded like a mild calf strain that could heal with rest, but warned I should see a doctor if the pain persisted. As a frequent runner, I was thrilled with this conclusion and felt I had the confirmation I needed: According to Claude, I was probably (but no guarantees) going to be fine.

My experience is just one example of how people are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) for health information, often before consulting a healthcare professional. It raises a bigger question: How can we unleash AI’s tremendous potential to improve healthcare while keeping consumers safe, particularly when, for many, AI is the only healthcare they can afford or access?

That question was at the heart of “The Future of Trust: Artificial Intelligence in Fraud & Healthcare,” a two-day conference NCL held in September. The event explored how to harness AI’s immense potential to improve healthcare while ensuring strong consumer protections, including privacy, transparency, safety, and accountability. Building on the discussions at the conference, NCL developed ten principles for protecting consumers in AI-enabled healthcare: Ten Principles for Protecting Consumers in AI-Enabled Healthcare. Putting these principles into practice will be key to balancing AI innovation with consumer safety. (To hear more from our conference panelists on protecting consumers in the age of health AI, check out NCL’s YouTube page for recordings of each panel).

Not surprisingly, I’m not alone in my habit of looking to AI for health advice. A West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare in America poll published in April found that roughly one-quarter of U.S. adults had used an AI tool for health information or advice in the past 30 days. Among this group, 27% cited not wanting to pay for a doctor’s visit as a reason for using AI health info, and 14% said they were unable to afford one. In June, the Pew Research Center also published survey results detailing why Americans use AI chatbots for health. About 28% said getting health information quickly is a big motivation, aligning with previous Center research showing that convenience is important to people who use chatbots for health information.

Beyond chatbots, AI is increasingly used across healthcare: pharmaceutical companies use it to develop new treatments, doctors’ offices use it to diagnose disease earlier, insurance companies use it to help decide whether to grant or deny coverage, and consumers use AI to manage their health at home.

The Bottom Line

We’re witnessing AI reshape the future of healthcare in real time. While it opens the door to easier access to health information and faster innovation, it also poses risks to consumer trust and safety. NCL will continue advocating for strong consumer protections that ensure AI technology is used responsibly and delivers meaningful benefits to consumers.