ChatGPT is changing how people seek medical and legal information.

Surveys and interviews show growing use of ChatGPT and other generative AI for health and legal questions, and professionals report more clients arriving with AI-generated information; industry and legal experts say AI is a useful resource but not a substitute for licensed judgment.

People are increasingly using ChatGPT and other generative AI chatbots to research everyday needs and complex health and legal issues. Attorneys and clinicians report more clients and patients presenting AI-generated text or summaries, which can be persuasive but sometimes generic or incomplete. Surveys cited in the reporting show rising use of AI for legal and medical queries, and industry leaders say the tools are likely to handle pre-care tasks like symptom checking or triage. At the same time, experts note limits including privacy rules that do not cover consumer AI products and the fact that licensed judgment remains important. Key facts: - A December 2025 survey from legal software firm Clio found 57% of consumers said they have or would use AI to answer a legal question. - A 2025 Zocdoc survey reported that one in three Americans use generative AI tools for health advice each week and one in ten use them daily; Zocdoc’s CEO said AI may become a go-to tool for pre-care needs while noting it is no substitute for most healthcare interactions requiring human judgment. - Lawyers such as Jonathan Freidin and Jamie Berger say they now often see clients who paste ChatGPT output or who arrive convinced by AI-generated legal strategies, creating extra work to contextualize and correct that information. - Health professionals report patients sometimes use chatbots as a quick second opinion; some clinicians find that can improve follow-up questions, while others warn about generic answers without full history. - Privacy and legal protections differ: HIPAA does not apply to consumer AI products, and Beth McCormack of Vermont Law School warns that sharing detailed case information in chatbots can risk attorney-client-privilege protections. - OpenAI told the reporter that ChatGPT is intended as a complementary resource and has updated policies restricting tailored licensed advice without appropriate professional involvement; professionals also note AI can help people who lack access to paid legal or medical services. Summary: Generative AI is expanding public access to medical and legal information and is changing how professionals interact with clients and patients. Providers and lawyers report more time spent verifying or reframing AI-generated content, and platforms have updated policies to limit tailored licensed advice. How these shifts will affect long-term outcomes and professional practice is undetermined at this time.