An observational analysis published in JAMA Network Open examined the level of trust Americans have when it comes to health systems’ use of artificial intelligence (AI). Researchers conducted a national survey of 2,039 adults, analyzing factors that could influence their trust, including AI knowledge, health literacy, and experiences of discrimination in healthcare, using a 4-point Likert scale. The results indicate that most respondents have low trust in health systems to use AI responsibly (65.8%) or to ensure AI tools do not cause harm (57.7%). Higher overall trust in health systems in general was associated with greater confidence in AI use, while previous experiences of discrimination were correlated with lower trust among the respondents. As it turns out, AI knowledge and health literacy did not significantly affect trust levels among survey respondents.
Mothers know best: Female respondents in the study were less likely than male respondents to trust AI use, according to the authors. Knowing that women make about 80% of the healthcare decisions for their families, they are the group AI proponents will likely need to sway the most.