Many older Americans don’t trust AI-generated health information
About 74 percent of adults older than 50 say they would have little or no trust in health information
About 74 percent of adults older than 50 say they would have little or no trust in health information generated by artificial intelligence, according to the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging.
The report analyzed data from a survey administered in February and March to 3,379 U.S. adults between ages 50 and 101. Over half of the adults (58 percent) reported looking for health information on the web in the past year.
Trust in AI-generated information differed across demographics. Women and those with less education or lower household income or who had not had a health-care visit in the past year were less likely to trust the information they found generated by AIonline.
Respondents were also asked about their ability to find and identify accurate health information. In all, 20 percent said they had little or no confidence in their ability to identify health misinformation. About a third of respondents who have searched online said it was very easy to find accurate health information online.
Older adults with fair or poor physical health, mental health or memory were more likely to say it was not easy to find accurate health information online. Respondents older than 65, those who are Black and non-Hispanic, and those with a lower level of education were less likely to use the internet for health information.
The authors wrote that health literacy is important to help adults make decisions about their health. They also say that more should be done to educate older adults on the utility of AI-generated health information.
“Helping older adults better understand AI-generated health information and how it can be used to support them in achieving their health goals may help address these concerns,” they wrote.
About The Author
