Why Americans use AI chatbots for health

August 27, 2026 Internet, Science & Tech A monthly digest of the Center’s latest research on how the internet, science and technology are impacting society · Subscribe ↗ Americans use chatbots for a host of health-related reasons, from helping make diagnoses on their own to learning more about information they may have gotten from a doctor. Nearly all chatbot health users find this AI information helpful. In a random sample of 10,000 webpages collected in July 2026, one-in-ten show signs of being written or substantially edited by AI. This is part of an upward trend that began in late 2022, when ChatGPT was first released. Today, 42% of U.S. adults say they don’t use cash for any purchases in a typical week. This is up from 24% in 2015 and is especially true among higher-income Americans. Still, 46% of Americans say they carry cash on them at least most of the time. Media mentions AI optimism fades among young adults Axios Most young Americans are more concerned about AI than excited, Pew survey finds Forbes Americans want to know when their healthcare providers use AI CNET A third of web pages published since ChatGPT launched were written by AI, study finds TechCrunch From our research The share of Americans who say they use cash to pay for all or almost all of their purchases in a typical week.