AI chatbots can be a valuable health resource for older adults—if they embrace 'informed skepticism'

As adults age 60 and beyond increasingly adopt artificial intelligence, it becomes essential to approach health information accessed via AI chatbots with informed skepticism. While these tools can offer valuable assistance by simplifying complex medical information, they also present risks if users blindly trust chatbot responses. A 2025 survey revealed that one in five adults consults AI chatbots for health-related inquiries, with about 14% of older adults accessing health information through these tools.

Older adults often turn to AI chatbots for sensitive topics, as they find conversing with them less intimidating and more immediate compared to scheduling doctor appointments. Moreover, these chatbots can present complex information in a concise and easily digestible format. However, relying solely on chatbot answers can lead to inaccurate guidance, especially in medical emergencies or when misclassifying health conditions.

This is due to AI's pattern-matching technique, which generates plausible-sounding yet inaccurate information.

To navigate these risks, it is crucial for older adults to employ informed skepticism. This involves maintaining an open mind while using built-in features to evaluate the credibility and accuracy of chatbot responses. Most mainstream chatbots, such as Claude, Gemini, and ChatGPT, include warnings about potential inaccuracies, but these are often concealed in small or gray text, making them easy to overlook. Users should consider cross-checking AI-generated information with reliable published sources.

Privacy is another concern, as AI companies frequently retain user prompts for training future models, potentially exposing personal health information. To mitigate this risk, older adults should refrain from sharing personally identifiable information when engaging with AI chatbots. In terms of privacy settings, younger adults tend to view AI as a stepping stone in their search process, while older adults prefer to complete their searches on the same device, implying a reluctance to cross-reference AI-generated responses with other formats.

Given these challenges and benefits, adopting certain guidelines can enhance older adults' safe usage of AI chatbots. Firstly, individuals should learn how to disable AI features on search engines, such as adding "-ai" to their search queries to avoid AI-generated content. Secondly, they should explore the information quality features offered by AI chatbots, which often provide links to the sources used to generate responses.

By verifying the legitimacy of these sources, users can ensure the accuracy of the information they receive.