Most Americans reject AI-only decisions in healthcare and insurance

A new Pew Research Center survey finds that most Americans are wary of artificial intelligence making decisions about their medical care or insurance claims. Of 3,488 US adults surveyed, 60% said they were uncomfortable with AI helping doctors make diagnoses or treatment plans. Only 5% supported insurance claim decisions made by AI without human review, and nearly half did not want AI involved in these decisions at all.

The report notes that while Americans may accept AI for tasks like translating, they expect a human to do the final review in medical and insurance matters. Trust is higher in doctors using AI than in insurance companies, government, tech firms or hospital leadership. More than half of respondents see AI as a risk to their personal health information.

Public attitudes have shifted more negatively among younger adults since 2022, according to Pew. As tech firms promote AI in healthcare, transparency and clear communication about AI’s role in care remain important for acceptance.

Healthcare and insurance executives need to consider these findings when planning AI adoption, focusing on consent, transparency and maintaining a human role in critical decisions.