Medical Information Seekers Shift from Google to AI Chatbots

People increasingly turn to LLMs for medical information, moving away from traditional search engines like Google.

Medical Information Seekers Shift from Google to AI Chatbots

For two decades, searching online symptoms has been the default first step for people experiencing new medical issues—a practice commonly called “Dr. Google,” according to MIT Technology Review. However, this behavior is now shifting as many people turn to large language models (LLMs) for medical information instead.

According to MIT Technology Review, the transition reflects changing patterns in how individuals seek health information, with AI chatbots becoming an increasingly popular alternative to traditional search engines. The article raises questions about whether these AI-powered tools can address the longstanding issues associated with online medical information searches.

The publication notes that “Dr. Google” has had its problems over the years, though the article excerpt does not detail what those specific issues were. The shift to LLMs for medical queries represents a significant change in digital health information-seeking behavior.

Source: MIT Technology Review

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