Voices from Reddit: Users’ Experiences and Opinions with Generative AI for Health Problems
Year: 2026
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: The growing adoption of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in healthcare has spurred both enthusiasm and concern among the public. This study examines how Reddit users discuss and describe the use of GenAI tools, such as ChatGPT, for health-related purposes. Using a mixed-methods approach, we collected and analyzed 6,707 posts from health- and AI-focused subreddits (April 2023–March 2025). Qualitative analysis revealed diverse applications of GenAI, including psychological support, health information seeking, diagnostic sensemaking, medical education, treatment exploration, and medical documentation. While many users described benefits such as accessibility, emotional support, and improved understanding of medical information, others highlighted risks, including misinformation, overreliance, and disappointment due to system limitations. Quantitative sentiment analysis revealed a predominance of neutral attitudes, with negative sentiment initially outweighing positive sentiment until mid-2024. Subsequently, positive sentiment increased, a shift that occurred during a period of notable evolution in consumer-facing GenAI tools. Emotion analysis further showed that negative emotions – particularly disgust, fear, and sadness – were more prevalent than positive emotions such as joy and surprise, largely reflecting users’ reactions to the perceived reliability, safety, and limitations of GenAI-generated health information. These emotional responses are important as they signal users’ trust and risk perceptions, which can affect their reliance on GenAI and inform the design, evaluation, and governance of such systems in healthcare contexts. Together, these findings suggest that while GenAI is frequently positioned as a supplementary resource for health information and support, user experiences remain mixed, underscoring the need for cautious integration, ongoing evaluation, and stronger governance in healthcare contexts.
Institution: Florida State University
Language: English
Subfield: Health Informatics
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7202295103