Revealing Insights from the King's College London Study

The groundbreaking research from King's College London (KCL) Policy Institute, in collaboration with King's Health Partners and Responsible AI UK, paints a vivid picture of how artificial intelligence (AI) is infiltrating everyday health decisions in the United Kingdom. Conducted through a nationally representative poll of 2,093 adults aged 18 and over between March 24 and 30, 2026, the study titled "The Use of AI in UK Healthcare: Public Perceptions and Healthcare Priorities" uncovers that 15 percent—one in seven respondents—have turned to AI chatbots for health advice rather than reaching out to a general practitioner (GP) or other National Health Service (NHS) services. An additional 10 percent have sought mental health and wellbeing support from these tools instead of consulting trained professionals.

This shift is particularly pronounced among younger demographics and those grappling with the realities of NHS pressures. For instance, 72 percent of all respondents reported using AI chatbots like ChatGPT or Gemini at some point, with usage soaring to 88 percent among 18- to 24-year-olds and 92 percent among those aged 25 to 34. Among the 866 individuals who used AI for health queries, convenience topped the list at 46 percent, followed closely by curiosity (45 percent) and uncertainty about the seriousness of symptoms (39 percent). Notably, 25 percent explicitly cited long NHS waiting times as a key driver, highlighting a system under strain where average waits for GP appointments can stretch beyond two weeks in many regions.

While 59 percent of users felt AI positively impacted their physical health and 53 percent their mental health, a concerning 21 percent decided against professional consultation based on chatbot responses. This statistic raises alarms about potential delays in diagnosis and treatment, especially given prior evidence suggesting AI chatbots misdiagnose early-stage conditions in up to 80 percent of cases.

Demographic Divides and Public Sentiments

The study reveals stark divides in attitudes toward AI in healthcare. Women expressed higher anxiety (46 percent) about safety and accuracy compared to men (31 percent), and overall opposition to AI in clinical decision-making stood at 38 percent, edging out support at 37 percent. Younger adults aged 18-24 showed the strongest resistance at 49 percent opposition, while those over 65 were more ambivalent at 36 percent.

Trust remains firmly with human clinicians: 78 percent preferred doctors for psychological therapy over AI's mere 5 percent. However, framing doctors as fatigued after long shifts eroded confidence, boosting relative trust in AI for tasks like stroke risk prediction. Public perception also lags reality, with respondents guessing 39 percent of GPs use AI in decisions—actual figure is just 8 percent.

• 76 percent demand official approval and regulation for AI tools in patient care, even if it delays rollout.
• 58-63 percent want prior notification and opt-out options for routine AI applications, such as analyzing test results or prioritizing queues.
• 55 percent insist on a second doctor review if AI contradicts a diagnosis.

These findings underscore a public craving for transparency amid rapid tech adoption.

NHS Strains Fueling the AI Shift

The NHS faces unprecedented demand, with over eight million people on waiting lists for routine care as of early 2026, and GP appointment waits averaging 14 days. This bottleneck has propelled AI adoption, as evidenced by services like Babylon's GP at Hand and Livi, which integrate chatbots for triage. While exact NHS AI chatbot stats are evolving, the KCL poll aligns with broader trends: 25 percent of AI health users pointed to waits, amplifying a convenience-driven pivot.

King's Health Partners, an academic health science center linking KCL with major NHS trusts like Guy's and St Thomas', positions universities at the forefront of addressing these challenges. Their research emphasizes AI's potential to alleviate burdens but warns against unregulated proliferation.

Professor Graham Lord, Executive Director of King's Health Partners, notes: “This research underlines the scale and pace at which AI is already shaping how people access healthcare. While the opportunities are significant, it also highlights concerns about safety and accountability.”

Risks and the Urgent Call for Safeguards

Beneath the convenience lies peril. Twenty-one percent of users were dissuaded from professional help, risking overlooked conditions. Prior studies, including Oxford research from early 2026, flag AI's proneness to hallucinations—fabricating facts or overlooking nuances in symptoms. Women and youth, key demographics, voice heightened fears: 63 percent overall report negative emotions toward clinical AI.

Accountability blurs: 34 percent blame treating doctors for AI errors in imaging, versus 6 percent for developers. Data privacy worries loom, with 40 percent fearing worsened security from NHS data training AI. For deeper insights, the full KCL report details these perils here.

Professor Sarvapali Ramchurn of Responsible AI UK stresses calibrated trust: “By connecting researchers with AI experts, policymakers, and NHS clinicians, we aim to ensure public trust through better guidance, regulation, and assurances.”

Photo by Gavin Allanwood on Unsplash

King's College London's Pioneering Role

KCL exemplifies UK higher education's vanguard in AI-healthcare fusion. Home to the King's Institute for Artificial Intelligence and the London Medical Imaging and AI Centre for Value-Based Healthcare, the university pioneers tools like FLIP—a federated learning platform securing patient data across NHS trusts for AI model training without centralization.

Amy Clark, Senior Policy Fellow at KCL's Policy Institute, observes: “People are already turning to AI chatbots instead of their GP—driven by convenience and stretched NHS capacity—yet the wider public remains anxious. Women and young people are among the most sceptical.” These efforts bridge research and practice, training medics in AI ethics and deployment.

AI Integration Across UK Medical Education

Beyond KCL, UK universities are embedding AI in curricula. The University of Westminster's MSc in Artificial Intelligence and Digital Health equips students with healthcare-specific AI skills. Bristol's MSc Artificial Intelligence for Medicine and Health focuses on diagnostics, while UCL's Artificial Intelligence for Biomedicine and Healthcare MSc merges rigorous AI with biomedical challenges.

Birmingham's MSc in AI Implementation (Healthcare) and Hull's similar program train implementers. The NHS Fellowship in Clinical AI, open for 2026 cohorts, targets clinicians. These initiatives prepare graduates for an NHS where AI augments 28 percent of clinical workflows, per KCL data.

• Key programs emphasize ethical AI, bias mitigation, and regulatory compliance.
• Focus on real-world applications like triage, imaging analysis, and predictive analytics.

Such training addresses the skills gap, ensuring future doctors wield AI as a tool, not a replacement. For program details, explore offerings at UCL.

Stakeholder Perspectives and Regulatory Horizons

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) echoes concerns. President Prof Victoria Tzortziou Brown deems reliance on AI “highly concerning,” stressing: “AI cannot examine patients or grasp full histories.” She advocates NHS.uk over unregulated bots.

76 percent of polled adults prioritize regulation, aligning with calls for a National Commission into AI Regulation in Healthcare. Universities like KCL advocate transparency: informing patients of AI use and offering opt-outs. As AI evolves, higher education must lead on ethics curricula.

Future Outlook: Balancing Innovation and Caution

AI promises to enhance diagnostics and efficiency, but KCL's study signals a pivotal moment. With public optimism on care quality (35 percent expect improvement) tempered by pessimism on relationships (49 percent foresee damage), universities hold the key. Expanded programs in AI ethics, interdisciplinary research, and clinician-AI hybrids will shape a safer ecosystem.

Explore career paths in this field via Guardian coverage. As UK higher education innovates, it ensures AI serves humanity, not supplants it.

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Implications for Higher Education and Research Careers

This study spotlights demand for AI-health experts, spurring roles in med schools and tech-health labs. KCL's centers exemplify opportunities in federated learning and policy. UK universities gear up with specialized MScs, fostering graduates who navigate AI's dual edges.

From lecturer positions teaching AI ethics to research posts modeling safe deployment, higher education is the launchpad. Programs emphasize step-by-step AI integration: data curation, model training, validation against clinical trials, and ethical audits.