Key Summary
- One in seven or about 15 percent are using AI chatbots instead of going to see their GP.
- The study was analysed by researchers at King’s College London.
- It signals how technology is changing the way people are dealing with health problems.
One in seven people are turning to AI chatbots for health advice rather than visiting their GP, according to a new UK study, and researchers fear it is creating “an unregulated AI healthcare system”.
Researchers at King’s College London analysed the findings, which highlight how digital tools are reshaping the way individuals manage health concerns.
The survey was conducted by Focaldata between 24 and 30 March 2026, via an online panel network and over 2,000 people participated.
It found that 15 percent of people had consulted AI chatbots about health issues instead of arranging a GP appointment. Nearly a quarter of these users said they did so because of long NHS waiting times.
The study found that a fifth of those who chose AI reported that the chatbot did not prompt them to seek professional help, and a similar share admitted they decided against a consultation after receiving AI‑generated advice.
Professor Graham Lord, lead author of the study, warned that the growing personal use of chatbots is effectively creating “an unregulated AI‑driven healthcare system running alongside the NHS.”
He said the findings show how quickly AI is influencing people’s access to care and stressed the need for greater transparency about safety, accuracy, and accountability.
Survey respondents were divided over whether AI should contribute to clinical decisions: 37 percent supported its use, while 38 percent opposed it.
Among younger adults aged 18–24, 49 percent rejected the idea of AI in NHS clinical practice, compared with only 36 percent of those aged 65 and over.
Previous studies have shown that certain AI‑based tools, including some search‑engine AI overviews, can deliver inaccurate or misleading health information.
Prof Victoria Tzortziou Brown, the president of the Royal College of General Practitioners, told The Guardian that it would be “highly concerning” if people were using AI instead of seeing a GP.
She stressed that AI cannot examine patients, fully interpret medical histories, detect subtle signs, or safely replicate evidence‑based clinical judgment.
