WHAT THE DATA SAY: 62% use AI tools for medical info; 32% don't trust it

By: Ray Day

CONTACT:

Ray Day
ray.day@stagwellglobal.com 

We wanted to share our latest consumer and business insights, based on research from Stagwell and Allison Worldwide. Among the highlights of our weekly consumer sentiment tracking:

TRUST BUT VERIFY ‘DR. AI’

More Americans are using AI to answer healthcare questions, yet they do not trust it completely, according to our Harris Poll research with Merck Manuals.

• 62% of Americans use AI tools for medical information.
• 54% use it to enter symptoms for a diagnosis.
• 32% do not trust the medical information provided by AI.
• Only 14% say they trust the information completely.
• 9 in 10 are taking steps to check the legitimacy of the information provided: talking with a health care professional (41%), cross-referencing with other AI or online platforms (39%), checking the sources provided by the AI (37%) and using other databases for deeper research (32%).
• Gen Z (77%) and Millennials (77%) are more likely to use AI for medical information than Gen X (58%) and Baby Boomers (40%).
• Parents with children under 18 (83%) use AI for medical information more than those without kids (52%).

ENTREPRENEURSHIP NOW EASIER THAN FINDING A JOB

Owning or starting a business today feels more financially secure than traditional jobs, according to our Harris Poll research with Shopify.

• Respondents in the U.S., Canada, UK, Australia and Spain say entrepreneurship feels more secure than a traditional job – highest in the U.S. at 39% for being your own boss versus 18% when working for others.
• Two thirds across markets say starting a business is a positive life move.
• In the U.S., 46% say finding a job today takes more effort than entrepreneurship (24%).
• 89% of U.S. founders would start their business again.
• 86% said e-commerce platforms make it easier to start a business now versus a decade ago.
• See also: Why Skilled Trades Are Becoming More Secure Careers in the Age of AI

DATA CENTER CONCERN GROWS

Concerns about neighborhood data centers are growing, based on new research from National Research Group on the role of AI and data centers in local politics.

• More Americans today oppose (37%) than support (28%) a new data center built in their area.
• Most say data centers are bad for the environment (39%), home energy costs (38%) and people’s quality of life nearby (30%).
• Americans are unsure about the environmental toll of AI: 54% overestimate how much water a typical LLM query uses.
• See also: AI Has Officially Entered Mainstream Politics

ICYMI: In case you missed it, check out the thought-leadership and happenings around Stagwell making news:

• How a housing standoff became an identity crisis — and why it matters far beyond real estate (Harris Poll)
• E.O.s Are the Heads of Companies. Should They Also Be the Face? (Mark Penn)
• AI Lets Communicators Measure Emotions, but Gen Z Interest Is Cooling (Ray Day)
• The Trade Desk launches first AI agents with Stagwell as clients (Stagwell)