AI Eroding Trust in Doctors as 53% Turn to Chatbots for Second Opinion

AI is eroding trust in doctors and other professionals as people turn to AI for a second opinion

Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust. In brief: The rise of generative AI continues to impact society in unexpected ways. According to a new poll, one of these is making people less willing to take the advice of professionals such as doctors without first confirming it with a chatbot. It used to be that most people would blindly accept the advice of professionals without questioning it. But new research by Use.AI shows how doctors, teachers, managers, and others are being challenged by AI. The survey found that just over half (53%) of the 15,428 respondents now use AI to check an explanation from a professional before deciding whether they agree with it. The other headline result is that 46% said professional credentials now carry less weight than they once did because AI users can independently investigate claims that would previously have been difficult to assess. AI also means that many people now prepare questions for doctors or other professionals ahead of their appointments, allowing them to ask about subjects they might not otherwise have thought of. Use.AI has defined this change as an "expertise recession," a decline in automatic deference to professionals who have years of training, experience, and often familiarity with an individual's case. The problem, of course, is that AI doesn't always get things right, and that can have severe consequences when it comes to medical queries. A chatbot is unlikely to know everything about a patient's medical history, test results, or other details a doctor would have access to. Last year, a man developed the rare psychiatric disorder bromism after following ChatGPT's suggestion to replace dietary salt with sodium bromide, while a lawsuit alleges the chatbot recommended a dangerous drug combination that resulted in a teenager's fatal overdose. It was also found that Google's AI health summaries cited YouTube more often than authoritative medical sources, and research showed that even a tiny amount of false medical information in training data could significantly increase incorrect answers. Interestingly, there is a clear age-based split in people's willingness to question professional advice. 70% of adults aged 18 to 34 said AI has made them more comfortable questioning professional advice, compared with 49% of those aged 45 and over. Ultimately, being confident doesn't mean being right, which should be the disclaimer for all AIs. "AI has democratised confidence faster than it has democratized knowledge," said Ihor Herasymov, Co-founder and CEO of Use.AI. "Someone can use AI to arrive at better questions without becoming qualified to judge the answers."

AI is making people less confident in professionals such as doctors and teachers

* New research shows 64% of people feel confident challenging professional advice after checking it with AI * Over 45s are less likely to question professional advice * An "expertise recession" has been identified by the survey, conducted by Use.AI AI is helping many of us call time on taking professional advice without further research, concerning new reports have found. Research by Use.AI has claimed professional advice from doctors and teachers is now researched further, with nearly two-thirds (64%) of people are now more confident challenging what they have been told. In addition, an "expertise recession" has been identified, a scenario in which expertise is less sought after in a world where AI can assimilate all information and present a contextual and nuanced response. Gen X less likely to ask The survey of 15,428 adults has also revealed other professionals that people are more likely to challenge. Managers, journalists, and economists are included in the list. Use.AI's findings also highlighted a key split in age groups, as while 70% of 18 to 34-year-olds are "more comfortable" asking questions that challenge professional advice after checking an AI chatbot response, that figure shrinks to 49% among over-45s. Also, while 64% are "more confident challenging advice" from professionals, 53% of people are using AI to check answers and information from experts ahead of deciding if they can agree with it. Furthermore, nearly half (46%) of respondents stated that professional credentials don't hold the same reputation as they once did, thanks to AI making it much easier to check an expert's response. This reveals an interesting change in how expert information is received. No longer is it something accepted at face value. Credentials might indicate a professional's experience and knowledge, but don't necessarily mean that everything they say should be accepted without further confirmation - typically by AI. The "expertise recession" In summarizing the report, Use.AI has referred to something it calls the "expertise recession." This is, it says, evidence of a "decline in automatic deference" to professionals with years of education, expertise, and experience. "AI has democratized confidence faster than it has democratised knowledge," said Ihor Herasymov, Co-Founder & CEO of Use.AI. "Someone can use AI to arrive at better questions without becoming qualified to judge the answers." Use.AI tell us that the "gap between confidence and competence" will continue to grow in importance as more people use AI for information searches and fact checks. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.