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A researcher writing in Medical Xpress says AI chatbots can help older adults access and understand health information, but their answers can be inaccurate and users may not verify them. The recommended approach is “informed skepticism”: check sources, use available quality features and avoid sharing identifying information.
A researcher writing in Medical Xpress says AI chatbots and voice assistants may help older adults get health information quickly, but users should apply “informed skepticism” by checking responses instead of trusting them automatically. The report highlights both the appeal of accessible explanations and risks that include inaccurate advice, weak verification habits and privacy concerns.
The report’s author, who studies how people interact with technology, says chatbots can make complex health topics easier to understand, summarize information and respond faster than waiting for a medical appointment. People may also find it easier to ask a chatbot about sensitive health questions. These tools can supplement information from health professionals, but the report does not present them as a substitute for clinical care.
According to a 2025 survey of 300 adults cited in the report, about one in five respondents used AI chatbots to ask health questions. A separate poll conducted by the author and colleagues found that one in two older adults reported using AI chatbots or voice assistants, while about 14% of that group said they accessed health information through them. The report does not provide further methodological details in the supplied material.
The author warns that chatbots can give incorrect advice, misclassify health conditions or respond agreeably even when an answer is not accurate—a tendency known as sycophancy. In the cited survey of 300 health-chatbot users, four in five said they never verified the output. The author also reports that older people using voice assistants may prefer to complete a search on the same device, which could make checking information through another tool less likely.
Health Answers Need Verification
For older adults managing chronic conditions or new diagnoses, quick explanations may help them prepare questions and understand unfamiliar terms. The report says using a tool at home can also give some people a greater sense of control over health information, particularly when they feel overlooked in clinical conversations. Those are potential benefits, not evidence that chatbot responses are medically reliable.
The risk is that fluent, confident wording can make incorrect information seem trustworthy. A chatbot may not identify an emergency correctly, and a user who treats its answer as a diagnosis or instruction could delay appropriate care. The report’s advice is to use AI as a starting point: examine the information and its sources, compare it with reliable published material, and consult a qualified health professional about medical decisions.
Privacy is another concern. The report says public chatbot providers may retain prompts to train future systems and relays researchers’ recommendation not to include personally identifying information. This matters when health questions involve names, dates of birth, medical records or other details that could identify a person.
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Why Older Adults Use AI
The report challenges the stereotype that older adults are generally unwilling or unable to use technology. It describes older people using voice assistants such as Siri and Alexa, as well as chatbots including ChatGPT and other services, for tasks ranging from entertainment and trip planning to health questions. Use varies, and the figures cited are from specific surveys rather than a measure of every older adult.
Health queries can be appealing because a chatbot responds immediately and can rephrase complicated material. By contrast, a search engine may require reviewing several pages, while an appointment can take time to arrange. The report also points to differences in how people search: its author’s research found that older voice-assistant users tended to prefer staying on the same device, while younger adults more often treated AI as one step before checking elsewhere.
The article notes that the U.S. Aging with AI Act was introduced in the Senate in 2026 and frames it as recognition of the need for research into AI’s benefits and risks for older people. The supplied source does not detail the bill’s provisions or legislative status beyond its introduction.
““informed skepticism””
— The report’s author, a researcher studying technology use
Limits of the Survey Evidence
The figures are drawn from surveys described in the report, including one of 300 adults; the supplied material does not give details such as how participants were recruited, how questions were worded or whether results represent the wider population. The statistics should not be read as estimates for all older adults or all chatbot users.
The report does not quantify how often health chatbots give harmful or inaccurate answers, nor does it establish that using them improves health outcomes. It also does not specify which products or settings were assessed. Chatbot features, data policies and accuracy may vary, and the supplied material does not establish how any particular service handles a user’s information.
Safer Searching Practices
The author recommends learning how to turn off AI-generated results where possible, using features that show or support checking sources, and comparing answers with reliable published information. The article says search-engine controls differ: some ask users to opt in to AI, while others may require opting out. It gives adding “-ai” to a Google Search query as one way to remove AI content from results, according to the report.
Users should avoid entering identifying personal details into public chatbots and should not rely on a chatbot for urgent symptoms or a medical diagnosis. The report calls for more research into how older adults use these systems and what risks and benefits follow. It does not identify a specific research deadline or a next legislative milestone for the Aging with AI Act.
Key Questions
Can AI chatbots help older adults with health information?
They can provide quick explanations and summaries, according to the report. Their responses can also be wrong, so they should not replace professional medical advice or care.
What does “informed skepticism” mean?
It means being open to using chatbot information while checking the quality and credibility of the answer, including its sources, rather than accepting it automatically.
How many users in the cited survey checked chatbot answers?
The report says four in five of 300 adults who used a health chatbot in a 2025 survey said they never verified its output. The supplied material does not give further survey methodology.
The report relays researchers’ recommendation not to include personally identifiable information, noting that public chatbot providers may retain prompts. Data practices can differ by service.
What is the Aging with AI Act?
The report says the bipartisan bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate in 2026 and highlights a need for research on AI’s benefits and risks for older adults. The supplied source does not describe its provisions or later legislative progress.
Source: medicalxpress.com
