72% of Americans Want Doctors to Disclose AI Use in Healthcare

Patients demand transparency as AI enters the exam room

As artificial intelligence tools become increasingly common in hospitals and medical offices—from analyzing X-rays to transcribing patient conversations—Americans are sending a clear message: they want to know when these systems are being used in their care.

A new survey from Pew Research Center shows that 72% of U.S. adults consider it extremely or very important that healthcare providers inform them when AI is involved in their treatment. This preference holds across demographic groups, including age, gender, education level, and race.

The findings arrive as the medical community grapples with evolving questions about legal and ethical obligations surrounding patient consent for AI tools.

Why it matters

The gap between growing AI deployment in healthcare and patient awareness creates a trust problem at a critical moment. With 63% of Americans wanting more say over whether AI is used in their care—yet 46% unsure if it's already been used—healthcare systems face pressure to establish clear disclosure practices before regulatory requirements potentially force their hand. The data suggests transparency isn't just an ethical consideration but a patient expectation that could affect provider relationships.

Disclosure expectations extend beyond diagnosis

Americans don't just want transparency for high-stakes clinical decisions. While 80% or more say they should be told when AI analyzes medical scans, makes diagnoses, or explains lab results, substantial majorities also want disclosure for background tasks.

Seventy-two percent believe they should be informed when AI takes notes during appointments. Even for purely administrative functions like scheduling appointments and ordering prescription refills, 56% and 64% respectively say disclosure is necessary. Scheduling represents the only task where a significant minority (33%) feels disclosure isn't needed.

White adults showed stronger preferences for disclosure on clinical tasks compared to Black and Hispanic adults, according to the survey data.

Control and awareness gaps

The survey reveals a significant disconnect between AI's presence in healthcare and patient awareness. Only 16% of Americans say their providers have used AI in their care, while 37% say it hasn't been used and 46% aren't sure—despite AI's documented expansion across medical settings.

Among those who report AI use in their care, understanding remains limited. Just 22% say they understand extremely or very well how it's been used, while 32% understand it not too well or not at all.

The control gap is equally stark. Fifty-three percent of Americans feel they have little to no say over whether providers use AI in their healthcare. White adults (60%) were more likely than Hispanic (40%), Black (43%), and Asian adults (42%) to report feeling this lack of control.

Education level correlates with reported AI exposure: 25% of those with postgraduate degrees say their providers have used AI, compared to 11% of those with high school diplomas or less. Yet uncertainty about AI use remains consistent across education levels, ranging from 46% to 48%.

Survey details

Pew Research Center conducted the survey of U.S. adults from June 22-28, 2026. The research was first reported by Pew Research Center and authored by Eileen Yam, Giancarlo Pasquini, and Emma Kikuchi.