Poll finds frequent AI chatbot users more likely to hold anti-vaccine beliefs

A new poll links frequent AI chatbot use for health advice with higher rates of belief in vaccine misinformation, including the debunked autism claim.

People who regularly turn to AI chatbots for health information are more likely to believe long-debunked vaccine falsehoods, according to a new poll — including the claim that vaccines cause autism, a notion repeatedly rejected by large-scale scientific research. The poll identified a correlation between frequent AI chatbot use for health-related queries and acceptance of vaccine misinformation, though the single source available does not specify the poll's sample size, methodology, or the organization that commissioned it. The autism-vaccine myth originated from a 1998 study that was later retracted and whose lead author lost his medical license; despite this, the claim has persisted and resurged in various media environments. The findings raise questions about whether AI tools are effectively countering health misinformation or, in some cases, reinforcing it — either through the content they generate or through the populations most drawn to using them for medical guidance.

Why it matters

If AI chatbots are associated with greater uptake of health misinformation, that has direct public health implications as these tools become increasingly common sources of medical guidance. The finding could influence how AI developers and regulators approach health-related content moderation.

What's next

Further peer-reviewed research would be needed to establish whether the relationship is causal — that is, whether AI chatbot use drives vaccine skepticism or whether skeptics are simply more likely to seek alternative information sources.

Key facts

• The poll found a correlation between frequent AI chatbot use for health advice and belief in vaccine misinformation
• One specific falsehood identified is the claim that vaccines cause autism — a hypothesis thoroughly refuted by scientific consensus
• The original 1998 study linking vaccines to autism was retracted and its author stripped of his medical license
• The Guardian report does not detail the poll's sample size, methodology, or commissioning body
• The finding is correlational, not causal — it does not establish that AI chatbot use causes vaccine skepticism

Bias & framing notes

Only a single source was available for this story, making cross-verification impossible. The Guardian's framing treats the correlation as meaningful and newsworthy, but without access to the underlying poll data — including who conducted it, how participants were selected, and what controls were applied — the strength of the finding cannot be independently assessed. The headline's use of 'myths' reflects an editorial stance, though it is factually defensible given scientific consensus on vaccines.

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