Over half of consumers use AI for wellness, yet concerns over accuracy persist: McKinsey

AI is widely used but not fully trusted: More than half of consumers use it for wellness, yet 40 per cent of US consumers worry its advice may be inaccurate, and reliance on friends and family and healthcare practitioners far outweighs AI chatbots in shaping purchases, the report said.

Across all generations, a quarter of consumers said they wouldnt use AI for health and wellness at all in the coming year. Among this group, nearly half said this was because they preferred human expertise.

As per the report, the global wellness market is worth USD 2.7 trillion, with the United States market alone accounting for USD 700 billion and growing at five to 10 per cent annually. Wellness is increasingly part of consumer identity, with more than a third of American consumers stating it is core to who they are. Younger demographics such as Gen Z and millennials drive significant spending.

"Wellness spending is broadening beyond Gen Z and millennials to older generations. In the United States alone, the market is now worth more than $700 billion and is growing about 5 to 10 per cent a year, making it a powerful growth engine in the consumer sector," the report added.

"The flurry of deal activity and new product launches hasn't satisfied consumer demand. In this year's survey, around 40 per cent of consumers globally said current wellness offerings still fall short in areas such as longevity, mental health, and mobilitygaps that have held roughly steady since 2024," it noted.

Consumer goods companies have expanded their wellness portfolios rapidly. Through September, 33 per cent of new United States consumer packaged goods product launches carried a wellness claim, up from 24 per cent in 2021. Furthermore, 53 per cent of the fastest-growing consumer brands feature a health and wellness proposition at their core.

Despite expanding adoption, consumers do not rely solely on automated platforms to direct their routines.

"Most consumers in our survey said they want to take an active role in managing their own health and are consulting more sources to do so, including doctors, friends and family, and social media," the report said.

"For all its early promise, AI is not pulling consumers away from doctors. Only 14 per cent of AI users said a chatbot's answer led them to skip a doctor's visit altogether; more often, consumers said they used AI to make sense of a diagnosis or treatment plan they'd already received for an ongoing health issue," it added.

Purchasing decisions remain firmly guided by interpersonal trust. When asked what shapes purchases, 35 per cent of United States consumers cited friends and family, and 30 per cent pointed to healthcare practitioners. In contrast, only eight per cent cited AI chatbots. (ANI)