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Americans Are Open to AI in Healthcare, but Want Humans Making Final Calls

Evidence type
Survey
Sample
n = 3,488
Sources
1 sourceJournalism
Published
2 min read
Truvace record
TRV-2026-2636cite or check it

Americans are generally open to AI handling administrative and medical tasks, but they largely don’t want AI operating without human oversight. About half (47%) say AI will make the relationship between patients and their doctors worse, compared with 10% who say it will make it better.

The problem

In a Pew Research Center survey of 3,488 US adults, 60% said they would be uncomfortable with AI used for diagnoses and treatment in their own care, double the 30% who would be comfortable, and 51% said AI would worsen the security of health data.

In brief

A Pew Research Center survey of 3,488 US adults, fielded June 22-28, 2026, found that most Americans accept AI for administrative healthcare tasks but not for medical decisions. Some 60% said they would be uncomfortable with AI used for diagnoses and treatment in their own care, against 30% who would be comfortable.

Openness depends on the task and on human review. About 78% are open to AI translating for patients, mostly with a human doing a final review (52%) rather than AI alone (26%). For insurance claims, 46% do not want AI involved at all and only 5% accept AI deciding on its own.

Opinion on patient outcomes is split: 37% expect better outcomes, 36% worse and 26% little difference. Half of respondents or more worry about privacy and the patient-doctor relationship, though 31% think AI will improve access to services versus 20% who think it will worsen it.

Main points

  1. Only 3% are open to AI making a diagnosis on its own; 47% would accept it with a human final review and 41% are not open to it.
  2. Among eight tasks, translating for patients drew the most openness (78%), and insurance claim decisions the least, with 46% opposed to any AI role.
  3. Asian adults were more open to AI in insurance claim decisions (65%) than White (40%), Hispanic (45%) and Black adults (39%).
  4. Upper-income adults were more open to AI for prescription refills (86%) than lower-income adults (59%).
  5. Adults under 30 saying AI will worsen patient outcomes rose from 29% in 2022 to 45% in 2026.
  6. Among adults 65 and older, the share expecting better outcomes rose 8 points since 2022, to 42%.
  7. On who can ensure AI serves patients, 58% have little or no confidence in health insurers, 55% in the federal government and 50% in AI companies; 26% have a great deal or quite a bit of confidence in doctors.

The full story

The survey asked about eight tasks. Openness to AI working with a human reviewer was highest for translation (52%), note-taking (56%), scan analysis (60%) and lab-result explanations (53%), while only small shares accepted AI acting alone: 6% for scans and 13% for note-taking.

Views differ by income and education. For all eight tasks, adults with higher education and income were more open to AI than those with the lowest levels. Some 55% of upper-income adults expect better patient outcomes, versus 25% of lower-income adults, 41% of whom expect worse.

Beyond outcomes, 47% said AI will worsen the patient-doctor relationship and 10% said improve it. On costs, 26% expect worse and 19% better. Between 22% and 32% were unsure about each effect.

Confidence in institutions is low. For health insurers, the federal government, AI companies and state governments, half or more have little or no confidence they will ensure AI serves patients. Doctors fared best, with 34% having some confidence.

Sources

1 on file
  1. Pew Research Centerpewresearch.org
    Journalism2026-10-29

Talk it over

Three questions to start on, two more if you have timeFor insurance claims, 46% do not want AI involved at all and only 5% accept AI deciding on its own. Which parts of healthcare would you hand to AI with a human final review, and which would you keep fully human?

Start with a question

Americans Are Open to AI in Healthcare, but Want Humans Making Final Callshttps://truvace.com/item/americans-are-open-to-ai-in-healthcare-but-want-humans-making-final-calls

  1. For insurance claims, 46% do not want AI involved at all and only 5% accept AI deciding on its own. Which parts of healthcare would you hand to AI with a human final review, and which would you keep fully human?

    Answer in the thread

  2. Asian adults were more open to AI in insurance claim decisions (65%) than White (40%), Hispanic (45%) and Black adults (39%). Who might be missing or underrepresented in these gaps, and how could that change what the survey shows?

    Answer in the thread

  3. The survey found 58% have little or no confidence in health insurers and 26% have a great deal or quite a bit of confidence in doctors. Who should decide how AI is used in patient care?

    Answer in the thread
If you have more time

  • The survey asked what 3,488 US adults say they expect, not what happened to patients. What measured results from hospitals using AI for scans or note-taking would you want to see before judging the 37% who expect better outcomes?

    Answer in the thread

  • Adults under 30 saying AI will worsen patient outcomes rose from 29% in 2022 to 45% in 2026. What would you ask people in that age group to understand why?

    Answer in the thread

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