7 in 10 Adults Over 50 Distrust AI-Generated Health Information: US Poll
A recent US poll reveals that 74% of individuals over the age of 50 have little to no trust in health information generated by artificial intelligence (AI). The survey, conducted by the University of Michigan and AARP as part of their “National Poll on Healthy Aging,” also found that 20% of older adults lack confidence in their ability to identify misinformation on health topics.
This lack of confidence is even more pronounced among those who report fair or poor mental and physical health or have disabilities that limit their activities. Among older adults who recently searched for health information online, only 32% felt it was very easy to find accurate content.
The findings underscore the crucial role of healthcare providers and pharmacists as trusted sources of health information for older adults. Poll director Jeffrey Kullgren emphasized that most older adults view websites run by health organizations as highly trustworthy, suggesting a need to promote their use.
In the past year, 84% of older adults obtained health information directly from healthcare professionals, pharmacists, or friends and family, with over 70% rating health professionals as very trustworthy and 62% feeling the same about friends and family with medical knowledge.
Indira Venkat, AARP Senior Vice President of Research, noted that while older adults increasingly seek health information online, there remains a significant trust gap, particularly regarding AI-generated content.
