Changes in public perception of artificial intelligence in healthcare after exposure to ChatGPT

The public perception of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare is key to its large-scale acceptance and implementation. This study investigated how exposure to ChatGPT changed public perception of AI in healthcare, using baseline and follow-up data from 5899 survey participants reporting their perception of AI in 2022 (before ChatGPT's launch) and 2024, and ChatGPT use in 2024. Multinomial multivariate logistic regression was used to model how exposure to ChatGPT use affected changes in perception of AI. At follow-up, 1195 individuals (20%) had been exposed to ChatGPT use, which was associated with higher odds of changing perception of AI to beneficial (OR 3.21 [95% CI: 2.34-4.40]) among individuals who were unsure at baseline, and lower odds of changing to uncertainty from more defined baseline perceptions. This study demonstrates the potential for reducing uncertainty and improving public perception of AI in healthcare through exposure to AI tools.