People are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence tools for help understanding symptoms, medical results and navigating healthcare decisions, according to a March 10 Microsoft report.
The company analyzed more than 500,000 health and wellbeing-related conversations with its Copilot AI assistant during January 2026 and found health is the most discussed topic on mobile devices among users.
Nearly 1 in 5 health conversations involve people describing symptoms, interpreting test results or managing medical conditions, according to the report. About 40% of questions focus on understanding symptoms, medical conditions or treatments.
Microsoft conducted the analysis using anonymized Copilot interactions that were automatically categorized by topic and intent. Conversations were de-identified and processed through an automated system, and no humans reviewed individual interactions, the company said.
Users also turn to AI for other health-related needs. About 9% of queries involve lifestyle and fitness coaching, including nutrition and exercise, while 5.8% focus on navigating the healthcare system, such as finding clinicians or understanding insurance coverage.
The report also found people frequently seek health information on behalf of others. About 1 in 7 conversations about symptoms or condition management involve questions related to children, aging parents or other dependents.
Time of day also affects usage. Emotional wellbeing and symptom-related questions increase in the evening and overnight hours, suggesting people may rely on AI when clinicians or pharmacists are less accessible.
Microsoft said its consumer AI tools, including Bing and Copilot, now handle more than 50 million health questions each day.
Copilot is not intended to diagnose or treat medical conditions and should not replace professional medical advice, according to the company.
The post Microsoft: AI tools now handle 50M health questions daily appeared first on Becker's Hospital Review | Healthcare News & Analysis.
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