ChatGPT vs your GP: one in four Brits would trust AI over their doctor
More than half of people are now turning to ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence for medical advice, and nearly one in four say they would trust AI over their doctor if the two disagreed, according to new research from health testing company Medichecks.
The survey of Medichecks customers highlights a growing dilemma for modern patients: what happens when your GP and AI give you completely different answers?
Overall, 55.7% of respondents said they have already used AI tools such as ChatGPT for medical advice, while an overwhelming 95.7% said they would be willing to do so again. Yet when asked what they would do if AI and their GP gave conflicting advice, 41.7% said they would not know who to believe.
Perhaps most strikingly, 23.8% of people said they would follow AI’s advice over that of their doctor. One respondent put it bluntly: “I would 100% trust AI over doctors.”
The research suggests AI may be rapidly becoming a new first stop for health information, particularly among younger adults. Nearly three-quarters (73.8%) of people aged 25–34 said they had used AI for a medical query, compared with just 34.9% of people aged over 75.
Men were also significantly more likely than women to rely on AI for health advice. In the survey, 63.7% of men said they had used AI for a medical concern, compared with 50.9% of women. Women were also more likely to express concerns about healthcare becoming less personal if AI tools become more widely used.
When looking to the future, more than half of respondents (51.7%) said they believe AI will be better than doctors at making accurate health predictions by 2030. Only 19.1% said they would trust human doctors more.
That growing confidence reflects rapid advances in medical AI. Research suggests today’s generative AI systems can already achieve diagnostic accuracy levels similar to non-expert doctors, averaging around 52%, while some specialist AI diagnostic tools have reported accuracy rates as high as 85% in complex cases.
However, experts stress that AI remains far from perfect and should not replace professional medical advice.
Dr Natasha Fernando, Medical Director at Medichecks, said:
“AI can be a helpful tool for learning more about your health or preparing questions before a medical appointment, but it should never replace proper medical care. A GP doesn’t just look at symptoms in isolation, they consider your full medical history, examine you in person, assess risk and make decisions based on clinical training and accountability.”
“Medicine is rarely black and white. Two people can present with very similar symptoms but require completely different care. AI cannot interpret the full context of someone’s health, their lifestyle, their history, or the subtle warning signs a clinician might pick up during a consultation.”
Despite the surge in public use of AI tools, the technology is already quietly embedded in many parts of modern healthcare. Across England, AI is used in stroke units to help analyse brain scans, while radiology departments deploy AI in clinical practice.
In some cases the technology has shown remarkable potential. An AI system called Mia, used to analyse mammograms at NHS Grampian, reviewed scans from more than 10,000 women and detected every case of breast cancer identified by radiologists, as well as 11 additional cases that had not initially been spotted.
However, AI systems can also make serious errors. In one example, Google’s Med-Gemini model reportedly identified abnormalities in a non-existent body structure called the “basilar ganglia”, highlighting the risk of so-called hallucinations where AI generates incorrect information.
Dr Fernando said this is why medical decisions must always involve a qualified clinician.
“AI does not take responsibility for the outcome of your care. Doctors do. That accountability is fundamental in medicine. If you have worrying symptoms, the safest course of action is always to speak to a healthcare professional who can properly assess you.”
She added:
“AI may become an increasingly valuable tool within healthcare, particularly for analysing large datasets or supporting clinicians with decision-making. But the future of medicine will almost certainly involve humans and technology working together, not technology replacing doctors.”
For patients, Dr Fernando advises using AI cautiously and never relying on it as a substitute for professional medical advice.
“AI can help people become more informed about their health, which is positive. But it should be used as a starting point for discussion with a healthcare professional, not the final word.”
