WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - U.S. adults who regularly use artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots for health advice are more likely to believe false claims about vaccines, according to a new poll released on June 30 by health research organization KFF.
The survey, conducted in May among 2,480 adults across the United States, found that people who frequently use AI for health information were more likely to believe myths such as vaccines causing autism or the measles vaccine being more dangerous than the disease itself. Researchers said the link remained even after taking into account factors such as age, race, education and political views.
Among adults who use AI tools for health information at least once a week, 35 percent said they believed or thought it was probably true that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine causes autism in children. In comparison, 20 percent of adults who never use AI for health information believed the same myth, while 29 percent of those who use AI only occasionally shared that belief.
The poll also found that people who trust their healthcare provider are less likely to believe vaccine misinformation. Meanwhile, nearly half of adults who do not have a trusted healthcare provider believed or thought it was probably true that more people died from COVID-19 vaccines than from COVID-19 itself. That compares with 24% of those who said they have a healthcare provider they trust. This relationship remained strong even after researchers adjusted for factors such as age, race, education, political affiliation and health insurance status.
'We've seen in our polling that healthcare providers are one of the most trusted sources of health and vaccine information among the public, and these latest findings show how lacking such a trusted source is linked with a willingness to endorse vaccine myths, which further underscores the role providers may play in this respect,' lead author Alex Montero told CIDRAP News.
Parents who said they had delayed or skipped recommended childhood vaccinations were also much more likely to believe vaccine myths than parents who kept their children up to date with vaccinations. More than half of these parents believed or leaned toward believing that the MMR vaccine causes autism, COVID-19 vaccines have killed more people than the virus, and mRNA vaccines change a person's DNA. In addition, 43 percent believed or leaned toward believing that the measles vaccine is more dangerous than measles itself, compared with 18 percent of parents who followed the recommended vaccination schedule. Researchers said these differences remained significant even after adjusting for age, education and political affiliation.
However, the survey also found that many parents who delay or skip vaccines are unsure rather than firmly convinced about these false claims. According to Montero, this uncertainty could provide an opportunity for healthcare professionals and public health experts to correct misinformation and build trust.
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