What health questions are people asking Microsoft Copilot?

Nearly 1 in 5 people who turn to Microsoft Copilot for health information discuss personal symptoms or conditions, the tech giant found.

Microsoft analyzed more than 500,000 deidentified health-related conversations to reveal what people are aiming to find out.

Nationwide, consumers are increasingly seeking medical advice from AI chatbots, while some researchers are calling for a “humble” AI framework that isn’t so authoritative (the technology still often gets things wrong):

Here are seven key findings from the March 10 Microsoft Copilot report:

1. Nearly 20% of conversations involve personal symptom or condition discussions, indicating strong demand for individualized health guidance

2. The largest category — general health information (40%) — is heavily focused on specific treatments and conditions, suggesting true personal health intent may be higher.

3. About 1 in 7 personal health queries are about someone else (e.g., child, parent, partner), highlighting AI’s emerging role as a caregiving support tool.

4. Personal symptom and emotional health queries spike during evening and nighttime hours, when access to traditional care is limited.

5. Device usage differs significantly: Mobile is dominated by personal health concerns, while desktop skews toward professional and academic use.

6. A notable share of queries centers on healthcare navigation, including finding providers and understanding insurance, underscoring persistent system friction.

7. The findings point to implications for platform design, safety and responsible development of health AI tools.

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