More than 32% of young adults in a new study said they use AI chatbots such as ChatGPT to find information about drugs and alcohol. The findings come from researchers at Rutgers Health.
The study used survey data from nearly 1,000 participants. It looked at how often people ages 18 to 29 turn to generative AI for substance-related information and how they view the answers they get.
Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence that creates new content in response to user prompts. Popular chatbots fall into this category.
The research was published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research Formative Research.
How Young Adults Are Using AI
Researchers found that 1 in 3 people in the 18 to 29 age group use AI for substance-use information. Most were looking for details on risks and consequences.
About half of these users said they ask AI about substances at least once a month.
The study also found that Black and male participants were more likely to use AI for this purpose than other groups.
“The observed disparities in who chooses to use AI for drug-related inquiries could reflect differences in healthcare access, stigma, trust, and health information-seeking behaviors,” said Mireia Triguero Roura.
Triguero Roura is a postdoctoral researcher with the Center for Pharmacoepidemiology and Treatment Science at the Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research. She is the lead author of the study.
Pia M. Mauro coauthored the research. She is an associate professor at the Center for Pharmacoepidemiology and Treatment Science and the Rutgers School of Public Health.
Trust in AI Raises Concerns
Young adults in the study said they found AI tools trustworthy, reliable and helpful. Researchers said this was concerning because AI chatbots can reproduce misinformation.
“Using these tools can lead to misinformed or otherwise risky substance-use behavior among young people, who are the age group most affected by adverse effects of substance use,” Triguero Roura said.
The study builds on earlier survey data showing that 66% of young adults use AI to search for information. That includes getting medical advice, among other uses.
The Rutgers team wanted to understand how this group uses AI for questions about substances in particular.
Triguero Roura and Mauro said more research is needed. They suggest future studies explore how young adults interpret AI answers about drugs and alcohol.
They also called for research into what this new source of information means for public health.
The study findings were announced by Rutgers University on October 26, 2026.
