A Penn State-led study finds that patient trust in doctors decreases when AI disagrees with their medical assessment.
Key Details
- 1A study used an AI chatbot roleplaying as a doctor for online mental health consultations.
- 2135 adults participated in sessions where the 'doctor' could seek a second opinion from an AI assistant.
- 3Patient confidence increased when the AI agreed with the doctor's assessment, but dropped sharply when AI disagreed.
- 4Perceptions of uncertainty and 'doctor laziness' rose with AI-doctor disagreement.
- 5The negative impact was strongest when patients perceived the doctor as human-like and believed in AI’s objectivity.
- 6Authors recommend explicit, nuanced communication about AI disagreements to maintain patient trust.
Why It Matters

Source
EurekAlert
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