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A researcher’s report argues that AI chatbots and voice assistants can help older adults understand health information, but their answers can be inaccurate, overly agreeable or risky to share with. The recommended approach is “informed skepticism”: check sources and answer-quality features, avoid entering identifying details, and do not treat a chatbot as a substitute for medical care.
A report on older adults’ use of artificial intelligence for health information says chatbots and voice assistants can make medical topics easier to understand, but users should approach their answers with “informed skepticism” rather than automatic trust. The guidance matters as older adults use AI tools to ask health questions and may rely on them alongside, or instead of, professional care.
The report, published by Medical Xpress, draws on research by an academic who studies how people interact with technology, including older adults’ use of voice assistants and chatbots. The researcher describes AI as potentially useful for summarizing complicated information, answering questions quickly and discussing sensitive subjects. Those conveniences do not establish that a response is accurate or suitable for an individual’s medical situation.
A 2025 survey of 300 adults cited in the report found that about one in five respondents used AI chatbots to ask health questions, such as questions about symptoms, diet or fitness. Separately, a poll conducted by the researcher and colleagues found that one in two older adults reported using AI chatbots or voice assistants, and about 14% of that group accessed health information through them. The report does not say these figures represent all older adults.
The researcher also cites a finding that four in five health-chatbot users in the 2025 survey said they never checked the chatbot’s output. The report recommends using any available source or information-quality features to review responses, and cross-checking important claims with reliable published information or a health professional. It also advises against sharing personally identifiable information with public chatbots, whose companies may retain prompts for training future models.
The Stakes of Health Answers at Home
For older adults managing long-term conditions or new diagnoses, health questions can arise between appointments. A chatbot may provide a fast explanation or help someone prepare questions for a clinician, while a voice assistant can make information easier to access at home. These uses may support a person’s involvement in their own care, but they also create a risk if a plausible-sounding answer is mistaken for a diagnosis or personalized medical instruction.
The report identifies several ways chatbot output can mislead: it may give incorrect advice during a medical emergency, misclassify a condition or agree too readily with a user. Researchers call that last behavior “sycophancy.” Because a response can sound fluent even when it is wrong, readers may not spot errors without checking. The report’s central point is not that older adults should avoid AI, but that access to quick answers should be paired with habits for evaluating them.
Privacy is another practical concern. A question about health can contain identifying or sensitive details, and the report says public chatbot providers may keep user prompts. Avoiding personal identifiers can reduce what a user shares, although the report does not claim that this eliminates all privacy risks.
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How Older Adults Use AI
The researcher challenges the stereotype that older adults are uniformly unwilling or unable to use new technology. The report describes older people asking health questions through voice assistants such as Siri and Alexa, as well as through chatbots including ChatGPT. Use varies, and the figures cited come from particular polls and surveys rather than a complete count of older adults.
AI can appear in a standalone chatbot or within a search engine. The report says this matters because users may encounter AI-generated summaries without deliberately opening a chatbot. It also cites the researcher’s earlier work suggesting older adults using voice assistants often prefer to begin and finish a search on the same device. If checking an answer requires moving to another service or format, they may be less likely to verify it.
The report points to the Aging with AI Act, introduced in the U.S. Senate in 2026, as an example of growing policy attention to research on AI’s possible benefits and risks for older people. The source does not say that the bill has become law.
““informed skepticism””
— The researcher whose work is described in the Medical Xpress report
Limits of the Survey Evidence
The source reports survey results but does not provide enough methodological detail here to determine how representative the samples were, how respondents were recruited or whether reported behavior has changed since 2025. The figures should be read as findings from the cited surveys, not as population-wide estimates.
The report also does not establish how often AI health answers cause harm, which tools produce more reliable answers, or whether the recommended checking strategies measurably improve outcomes. Chatbot features and data-retention policies can vary by product and may change. The report’s general privacy warning does not describe the practices of every provider.
It remains unclear how far older adults use chatbots to supplement medical appointments versus replace them. The researcher identifies substitution as a possible risk, but the material does not quantify it. AI responses should not be treated as emergency guidance or a personal medical assessment.
What Users and Researchers Can Check
The report urges users to learn how AI appears in the services they already use, including whether a search engine offers a way to turn off AI-generated content. It gives Google Search as an example and says adding “-ai” to a query can remove AI content from results. That instruction is specific to the report and could change as the service changes.
When using a chatbot, readers can look for source and information-quality features, follow cited references where available, and compare significant health claims with reliable published sources. They should avoid entering identifying details and seek advice from a qualified health professional for decisions about their care. For urgent or emergency symptoms, a chatbot is not a substitute for emergency services.
Researchers and policymakers may continue examining how older adults use AI, what risks they face and what support helps them judge responses. The report cites the Aging with AI Act’s introduction in the Senate as one sign of that policy interest; its status and any future research findings remain matters to watch.
Key Questions
What does “informed skepticism” mean when using a health chatbot?
It means using a chatbot as a possible source of explanations while checking its claims rather than assuming they are correct. The report recommends reviewing available sources or quality features and consulting a health professional for care decisions.
How many older adults in the cited poll used AI for health information?
The researcher’s 2025 poll found that half of the older adults surveyed reported using a chatbot or voice assistant; about 14% of that group accessed health information through one. The source does not give enough detail here to treat the result as a national estimate.
What risks does the report identify?
Chatbots can provide inaccurate medical information, misclassify conditions or agree with a user despite being wrong. The report also flags the risk of sharing identifying health details with public services that may retain prompts.
Should a chatbot replace a doctor or emergency care?
No. The report describes chatbots as a possible information resource, not a replacement for professional assessment. For personal medical decisions, consult a qualified health professional; for emergencies, use emergency services.
Source: medicalxpress.com
