The trend: Black and Hispanic consumers are more likely than the overall population to use AI for mental health information and advice, according to a March KFF survey.

• 21% of Black adults and 19% of Hispanic adults have used AI tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or Claude for mental health information and advice, compared with 16% of all respondents and 12% of white adults.

Why it matters: Black and Hispanic consumers are using AI more often—not only for mental health but also for broader health information, amid ongoing disparities in healthcare access.

• 39.3% of Black and 38.7% of Hispanic consumers are “likely” or “very likely” to use AI to look up health information, compared with 34.2% of total respondents, per EMARKETER’s January 2026 Digital Health survey.

Black and Hispanic consumers have greater barriers to traditional healthcare, which could drive them to easy-to-access AI tools for health information and advice.

• Both groups have higher uninsured rates—18% of Hispanic and 10% of Black adults were uninsured, compared with 7% of White adults in 2023, per KFF analysis published in December.
• 55% of Black and 49% of Hispanic adults say it’s very or somewhat difficult to afford healthcare costs, compared with 44% of overall population, per a January KFF survey.

Implications for pharma marketers: As AI becomes a more common source of health information for Black and Hispanic consumers, it is emerging as an important channel for reaching these audiences. Pharma marketers should ensure content for Black and Hispanic patients is accurate, culturally relevant, and trustworthy so it surfaces in AI-driven responses and reflects the needs of these audiences.

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