What could help people be more accepting of AI in health care?

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-08-05 01:00

Australia; VIC; QLD

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

AI could play a role in improving healthcare, yet there has been some public backlash to the use of AI in health, so what makes people more willing to accept AI at the doctor's office? Australian researchers have found that AI is more acceptable when it helps deliver care that is personalised, empathetic, and responsive to patient needs. They found that the social license to use AI is not fixed and permanent but instead dependent on certain conditions, including whether the clinician-patient relationship is preserved, whether AI systems are governed responsibly, and whether the AI is efficient, accurate, and reliable.

News release

From: JAMA

Consumer Perspectives on Trust in and Benefits of Artificial Intelligence in Health Care

This qualitative study of consumer perspectives on AI in health care found that social license for AI is a conditional and dynamic construct not a fixed state; structural, performance, and relational factors intersected to shape social license. The findings provide evidence-based recommendations for stakeholders designing and implementing AI in clinical settings, highlighting the need for AI tools designed to support both consumers and clinicians in delivering care that is personalized, empathetic, and responsive to patient needs.

Attachments

Note: Not all attachments are visible to the general public. Research URLs will go live after the embargo ends.

Research JAMA, Web page Please link to the article in online versions of your report (the URL will go live after the embargo ends).

Editorial / Opinion JAMA, Web page Please link to the article in online versions of your report (the URL will go live after the embargo ends).

Journal/
conference: JAMA Network Open

Research: Link to Paper 1 | Paper 2

Organisation/s: The University of Queensland, The University of Melbourne

Funder: This study was conducted as part of the National Infrastructure for Real-time Clinical AI Trials (NASCENT) project, funded grant NCRI000029 from the Medical Research Future Fund National Critical Research Infrastructure scheme. The NASCENT project aims to build Australia’s national infrastructure for real-time clinical AI trials through advanced evaluation systems, workforce capability, and consumer partnerships. Dr Duong’s PhD study is funded by the Mai Lan Kunzy Scholarship, which was established by Dr Hugh Kunze.

Media Contact/s

Contact details are only visible to registered journalists.