Over 10 million Brits using AI chatbots for mental health support

A new report indicates that approximately 10.5 million adults in the UK, roughly a fifth of the population, are now turning to AI chatbots for mental health support.

This trend is emerging amidst growing pressures on the National Health Service (NHS), with many individuals seeking assistance from tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot due to difficulties in accessing traditional mental health services.

The research, commissioned by cybersecurity firm NymVPN, highlights a broader reliance on AI for health-related queries.

Around 30% of Brits have reportedly input physical symptoms and medical history into chatbots to seek diagnoses or understanding of their conditions. This reliance is expected to increase as the NHS plans to integrate AI chatbots into its 111 service for patient triage with forecasted budget cuts of £300 million to mental health services in the coming year.

Beyond medical and mental health, AI is also being utilized for personal guidance, with one in six individuals seeking relationship advice, including navigating break-ups and complex partner situations.

However, NymVPN is urging caution regarding the amount of personal information being shared with these AI tools. Says Harry Halpin, CEO of NymVPN:

“More people than ever are looking to their GP to provide mental health support, yet budgets for these services are being cut. This demand is pushing millions of people to turn to AI to fill in the gaps.

“The likes of ChatGPT and Google Gemini are now so frequently used that they have ventured beyond being a useful tool to being treated as therapists, doctors and relationship coaches.

“The elephant in the room is that this is still technology based on data collection and is therefore at risk of cyber attacks.

“Any information related to health is useful for adversaries, as it gives them a clear picture of what makes someone ‘vulnerable’. It could be used by a scammer to blackmail someone or convince them to click on links that expose devices to malware and viruses.”

Nearly half of Brits (48%) described themselves as ‘cautious’ when it comes to their interactions with AI and the potential privacy risks. Meanwhile, a quarter of people (24%) say that while the NHS might be looking to reform its services to include AI chatbots, they would not trust it with their personal information or the ability to do the job as well as a human.

NymVPN