Americans wary of AI for medical care and insurance claims
Most Americans have qualms about using AI in healthcare for tasks such as diagnosis and treatment, Pew Research poll finds.
A recent Pew Research Center survey reveals that many Americans are uneasy with the extent of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. While patients are generally okay with AI assisting with administrative duties and some medical tasks, they strongly prefer human intervention for critical decisions. Over half of the 3,400 U.S. adults polled were open to AI analyzing medical scans and lab results when supervised by a healthcare professional.
However, the survey indicates a clear divide when it comes to AI making diagnoses or determining insurance coverage. Nearly half of the respondents stated they do not want an AI model deciding on insurance claims, and 41% did not want AI to make diagnoses independently. Galen Stocking, associate director of science and society research at Pew, emphasized the importance of transparency, with 46% of respondents unsure if AI had ever been used in their care and a majority wanting to know if their healthcare providers are employing AI.
The majority of Americans remain uncomfortable with doctors using AI for diagnosis and treatment, with only 30% being comfortable and 10% uncertain. Additionally, opinions on AI's impact on medical care quality are split: 37% believe it will improve outcomes, while another 37% fear it could reduce the quality of care.
Written by urgent.news from CBS News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
