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A researcher’s report says older adults are using chatbots and voice assistants for health information, but fast answers can be inaccurate and private prompts may be retained. The recommended approach is informed skepticism: check sources, avoid sharing identifying details and treat chatbots as a supplement, not a substitute, for medical care.
A report on older adults’ use of artificial intelligence for health information recommends “informed skepticism”: staying open to chatbot explanations while checking their quality and credibility. The advice matters as older adults turn to tools such as ChatGPT, Alexa and Siri for health answers that are quick and convenient, but may be wrong or expose personal information.
The report’s author, a researcher who studies how people interact with technology, says chatbots can help explain complicated health topics, summarize information and answer questions without the wait for a medical appointment. People may also find it easier to ask a chatbot about a sensitive topic. Those conveniences do not make a chatbot’s response a diagnosis or a reliable substitute for professional advice.
A 2025 survey of 300 adults found that about one in five respondents used AI chatbots to ask health questions. In a separate 2025 poll conducted by the author and colleagues, one in two older adults said they used AI chatbots or voice assistants, and about 14% of that group accessed health information through them. These figures describe the surveys cited in the report; they do not establish use among all older adults.
The report identifies several risks: a chatbot may provide incorrect advice in an emergency, misclassify a condition or agree too readily with a user. The author notes that AI systems generate responses by predicting likely word sequences, so fluent wording can still contain errors. In the survey of 300 health-chatbot users, four in five said they never verified the chatbot’s output. The author also cites research suggesting older users of voice assistants may prefer to finish a search on the same device, making it less likely they will follow information into another format to check it.
Checking Answers Before Acting
For older adults managing chronic conditions or new diagnoses, a quick explanation can make health information easier to approach. The report says access at home may also help users feel more in control of questions they want to ask. But an incorrect answer can carry consequences if someone relies on it instead of seeking care, particularly when symptoms are urgent.
The central distinction is between using AI to support understanding and treating its output as medical authority. Checking where an answer comes from, comparing it with trusted health sources and taking unresolved questions to a clinician can reduce the chance that a confident-sounding mistake goes unchallenged. Users should not delay emergency care to consult a chatbot.
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How Older Adults Use AI
The report challenges the assumption that older adults are uniformly unfamiliar with technology. It describes use of voice assistants such as Alexa and Siri as well as chatbots including ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. Some health systems also offer purpose-built tools. The report’s cited polling indicates that older adults do use these services, though the figures come from specific surveys and should not be read as a population-wide estimate.
AI features also appear within some search engines, so users may encounter generated summaries without opening a separate chatbot. The report says Microsoft Bing asks users to opt in to AI features, while Google Search presents AI summaries and allows users to remove AI content from a query by adding “-ai.” The author also points to the Aging with AI Act, introduced in the U.S. Senate in 2026, as an example of growing attention to research on the technology’s benefits and risks. The report does not provide the bill’s legislative status or details beyond its introduction.
““The most productive way of engaging with health information generated by an AI chatbot is from a position of informed skepticism.””
— The report’s author, a researcher who studies older adults’ interactions with technology
Limits of the Available Evidence
The figures cited come from a survey of 300 adults and a separate poll by the author and colleagues; the material does not give enough detail to judge how representative either sample is. It is also unclear how often older adults’ chatbot answers are inaccurate, how frequently users act on them, or whether particular services perform better than others for health questions.
The report notes that public chatbot companies may keep prompts to train future models, but it does not specify the retention policies of individual services. Users should check each service’s privacy settings and terms rather than assume that a health query is private. The source material ends while describing chatbot information-quality features, so it does not provide a complete list of verification steps or report results from an intervention testing them.
Practical Checks for Users
The report advises users to learn how to opt out of AI-generated search results when they prefer not to use them, especially for sensitive queries. When using a chatbot, people can look for its source or citation features and compare claims with reliable published health information. If a source is missing or an answer remains uncertain, they can take the question to a health professional rather than acting on the response alone.
Users should avoid entering personally identifying information into public chatbots and review the privacy controls of the services they use. The report also points to the need for more research on how older adults use AI and what support helps them judge responses. The source does not identify a next legislative milestone for the Aging with AI Act or a date for further findings.
Key Questions
Can older adults use AI chatbots for health information?
Yes, they can use them to ask questions or get explanations, but the report recommends treating responses as information to check, not as a diagnosis or replacement for care from a clinician.
What does “informed skepticism” mean?
It means remaining open to a chatbot’s explanation while checking its sources and accuracy, and seeking professional guidance when a health decision or symptom requires it.
How common is AI use among older adults, according to the report?
A 2025 poll by the author and colleagues found that one in two older adults surveyed used AI chatbots or voice assistants; about 14% of that group accessed health information. The report does not establish that these figures represent all older adults.
The report cites researchers’ advice not to include personally identifying information because public chatbot companies may retain prompts. Check the specific service’s privacy settings and terms.
What should someone do if a chatbot gives worrying medical advice?
Do not rely on the chatbot alone. Check the information with a qualified health professional, and seek emergency care for urgent or potentially serious symptoms rather than waiting for an AI response.
Source: medicalxpress.com
