More than 40 million people around the world now turn to ChatGPT every day for health-related advice, according to a new report from OpenAI, the company behind the chatbot. The report says that over five percent of all messages sent to ChatGPT globally are about healthcare. People use ChatGPT for many health-related reasons. More than half said they used it to check or explore symptoms. Nearly half said it helped them understand medical terms or instructions, while about 44 percent used it to learn more about treatment options.
The findings, first reported by Axios, highlight how quickly AI chatbots are becoming part of the US healthcare system. Some states, including California and Texas, have tried to limit how AI can be used in healthcare. At the same time, Congress has been slow to act, and the Trump administration is working to weaken state-level AI laws.
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OpenAI is also facing lawsuits that claim ChatGPT contributed to suicides or made mental health problems worse, a concern some experts call AI psychosis.
Despite these concerns, OpenAI’s report presents ChatGPT as a helpful tool for people struggling with a complex and costly healthcare system, especially in rural areas with few hospitals or doctors.
“For both patients and providers in the US, ChatGPT has become an important ally, helping people navigate the healthcare system, enabling them to self-advocate, and supporting both patients and providers for better health outcomes,” the company said.
“Americans are using AI and ChatGPT to equip themselves with information to gain more agency over their health, particularly when dealing with a system that’s difficult to navigate and makes decisions without a lot of context.”
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OpenAI also noted that people in rural “hospital deserts” send about 580,000 healthcare-related messages to ChatGPT each week.
“AI will not, on its own, reopen a shuttered hospital, restore a discontinued obstetrics, or replace other critical but vanishing services,” the company said. “But it can make a near-term contribution by helping people in underserved areas interpret information, prepare for care, and navigate gaps in access, while helping rare clinicians reclaim time and reduce burnout.”
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