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Majority of Americans Want Notification When AI Is Used in Health Care, Study Finds

• By John K. Waters
• 12/16/2024

Nearly two-thirds of American adults believe it is very important to be notified when artificial intelligence (AI) is used in their health care, a new study published in JAMA Network Open found, underscoring growing public concern about transparency in AI applications.

The survey, conducted between June 27 and July 17, 2023, involved 2,021 U.S. adults and revealed that 62.7% of respondents said it was “very true” that they wanted notification about AI usage in their health care. Less than 5% indicated they did not consider such notification important.

The researchers, using the National Opinion Research Center’s (NORC) AmeriSpeak panel, weighted responses by key demographic factors, such as race, age, sex, and education, to ensure a nationally representative sample.

The study revealed some variations in attitudes across demographic groups. Women were more likely than men to emphasize the importance of being notified, while differences were also noted across racial and educational groups. White respondents, for example, expressed a stronger preference for notification than Black or African American respondents.

"Our findings suggest that notification about AI will be necessary for ethical AI use and should be a priority for organizations and policymakers," the authors wrote.

The use of AI in health care, from diagnostics to treatment recommendations, is increasing rapidly. While policymakers and experts highlight transparency as a cornerstone of ethical AI implementation, standardized policies for notifying patients are still lacking.

The findings build on prior research that emphasized the public’s preference for transparency when health information or biospecimens are used. In comparison, the desire for notification about AI in health care was higher.

The study suggests that health care organizations and policymakers must move beyond debating whether to notify patients about AI and focus instead on how and when such notifications occur. Researchers also emphasized the need for a more collaborative approach that engages patients, experts, and policymakers to promote trust and transparency.

The authors acknowledged limitations, such as the cross-sectional nature of the study, and called for longitudinal research to monitor changes in public attitudes over time.

As AI technologies continue to evolve, the study signals an increasing expectation among Americans for greater transparency, a critical consideration for health systems as they adopt AI tools at scale.