One in three young adults use AI chatbots for drug and alcohol information, study finds
Researchers warn that chatbots could spread misinformation about substance use, as a survey finds that one in three young adults in the United States are turning to AI for drug-related information.
A recent study has revealed that one-third of young adults in the United States have turned to generative AI, such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Meta AI, to seek information about drugs and alcohol. Conducted by Rutgers University and published in JMIR Formative Research, the survey examined the habits and attitudes of 995 US adults aged between 18 and 29.
The research found that 32% of the respondents had utilized AI tools for substance-related information, with nearly half of those using the technology at least monthly. Among these frequent users, 12% turned to AI on a weekly basis, and 4% resorted to it daily or almost daily. Mireia Triguero Roura, a postdoctoral researcher at Rutgers University and the study's lead author, emphasized that such reliance on AI could potentially lead to misinformed or risky behavior among young people who are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of substance use.
Interestingly, the study also revealed that 93% of those who used AI for substance-related queries had also used Google search for the same purpose, suggesting that chatbots are primarily supplementing rather than replacing established online search tools. The primary reasons for seeking information through AI were to learn about the risks and consequences of substance use (cited by nearly 93% of users) and to acquire substance-specific knowledge, such as dosage information (cited by 35%).
Despite their generally positive perception of AI's helpfulness, trustworthiness, and reliability, young adults who used AI for substance-related queries rated it an average of 3.66 out of 5 in terms of trustworthiness, slightly higher than the 3.51 score given to general AI use. The study also uncovered demographic disparities, with Black respondents being 2.52 times more likely to use AI for substance-related information compared to white respondents, and male respondents having approximately twice the adjusted odds of female respondents using AI for these purposes.
Triguero Roura highlighted that the observed differences in AI use could be linked to factors like healthcare access, stigma, trust, and health information-seeking behaviors. Future research should focus on assessing the accuracy of chatbot responses, investigating the reasons behind demographic differences in AI use, and understanding how this information influences young adults' decisions and behaviors concerning substance use.
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