Dr. ChatGPT? Concern Grows As 40 Million People Use The Platform For Medical Advice

More than 40 million people now turn to ChatGPT every day for healthcare guidance, a shift that is quietly reshaping how medical information is accessed and interpreted.

What began as casual symptom checks has evolved into a broader reliance on artificial intelligence to navigate insurance, interpret test results and prepare for clinical visits, according to new data from OpenAI.

Of ChatGPT's more than 800 million regular users, one in four submits a healthcare-related prompt each week. More than 5% of all messages on the platform globally now concern health, translating into billions of interactions weekly. While OpenAI frames this as empowerment, critics warn that the boundary between information and informal diagnosis is becoming increasingly blurred.

The trend reflects deeper cracks in healthcare systems, particularly in the United States. Rising costs, shrinking access and eroding trust are pushing patients toward always-on digital tools, raising urgent questions about safety, regulation and responsibility.

The Scale Of AI-Driven Healthcare Use

In its January 2026 report, 'AI as a Healthcare Ally', OpenAI says that ChatGPT has become a de facto navigation tool for patients struggling with complexity and delays. Nearly 2 million messages each week focus on health insurance alone, including plan comparisons, billing disputes, eligibility and coverage details.

OpenAI's anonymised data also shows that seven in 10 healthcare conversations on ChatGPT occur outside normal clinic hours. Most activity peaks overnight or during weekends, when clinics are closed, and alternatives are limited. Three in five U.S. adults say they have used AI tools for health-related purposes in the past three months, often as a first step before contacting a clinician.

Among those users, 55% reported using AI to check or explore symptoms, 48% to understand medical terminology and 44% to learn about treatment options, according to an OpenAI-commissioned survey included in the report.

Cases like this aren't new. Social media is filled with stories of people whose lives were 'saved by AI.'

Hospital Deserts And Rural Reliance

Reliance on AI is most pronounced in underserved rural areas. OpenAI defines 'hospital deserts' as locations more than a 30-minute drive from a general medical or children's hospital. In these regions, users send nearly 600,000 healthcare-related messages to ChatGPT every week.

Wyoming ranked highest for healthcare-related messages from hospital deserts, accounting for 4.15% of the national total, followed by Oregon, Montana, South Dakota and Vermont.

The report notes that rural hospitals have been closing or eliminating services such as obstetrics and oncology for more than a decade, leaving AI as one of the few immediate sources of guidance.

'AI will not, on its own, reopen a shuttered hospital,' OpenAI researchers wrote. 'But it can make a near-term contribution by helping people in underserved areas interpret information, prepare for care, and navigate gaps in access.'

Doctors Adopt AI As Concerns Grow

Healthcare professionals are also turning to AI. The American Medical Association reported that 66% of U.S. physicians used AI for at least one task in 2024, up from 38% in 2023. Nearly half of nurses now use AI tools weekly, often for documentation and administrative support.

OpenAI highlights cases where clinicians use AI-powered tools to reduce burnout, summarise notes and support diagnosis, particularly in rural settings where staffing shortages are acute.

Still, regulatory uncertainty remains. OpenAI has urged the Food and Drug Administration to clarify approval pathways for consumer-facing AI medical tools and to update guidance on AI systems that support physicians' independent judgment.

As ChatGPT increasingly occupies the grey space between information and care, the debate is no longer whether people will consult AI about their health, but how far that reliance should be allowed to go.