Trust and Technology Acceptance: Comparing Traditional Search Engines and Artificial Intelligence for Colorectal Cancer Information Seeking.

内容摘要

IntroductionThe integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into health information seeking is transforming health promotion. Understanding how users accept and trust these communication technologies is critical for health communication and cancer control. This study examined how the Technology Acceptance Model II (TAM II) applies to colorectal cancer information seeking, comparing link-based search (e.g., Google search) versus generative response paradigms (e.g., ChatGPT/AI) while examining trust, perceived threat, and contextual factors in technology use decisions.MethodsA prospective, randomized 2×2 factorial experiment was conducted with 764 Texas adults randomly assigned to conditions to view either Google search results or ChatGPT responses for colorectal cancer symptoms, presented in either high-concern or low-concern scenarios. Participants completed validated measures including TAM II constructs adapted from Davis (1989) and Kamal et al (2020), multidimensional trust scales, Extended Parallel Process Model threat measures (Witte, 1992), and technology-related stress items, all demonstrating acceptable reliability (α > .77). Data analysis included two-way ANOVAs, correlation analysis, and stepwise regression modeling.ResultsGoogle search received significantly higher ratings than AI across all Technology Acceptance Model II constructs. Technology preferences appeared to reflect multiple factors including interface familiarity, trust in information sources, and usability expectations, with traditional search benefiting from established user mental models and transparent source attribution. Trust emerged as the strongest predictor of behavioral intention. No significant main effects were found for concern level, and no interaction effects emerged between technology type and concern level, indicating that technology preferences remained consistent regardless of symptom severity.ConclusionsFor cancer control and prevention, these findings suggest that patients seeking colorectal cancer symptom information may be more likely to trust and act upon traditional search results than AI-generated responses, focusing on technology use intentions for health information seeking that directly inform cancer screening and care-seeking behaviors, potentially affecting screening behaviors and care-seeking timing. Current AI implementations may not optimally serve health information needs with lower acceptance potentially related to limited source transparency and increased cognitive demands compared to familiar search interfaces, as suggested by preference patterns. Cancer control professionals should anticipate that the growing integration of AI into health information seeking may influence the public's cancer symptom evaluation and screening behaviors. When people have worrying symptoms like stomach pain or changes in bowel habits, they often search online for information before deciding whether to see a doctor. Today, people can get health information from traditional search engines like Google or from newer artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots like ChatGPT. But we don't know which type of search people trust more, especially when they're worried about serious health problems like colorectal cancer. We studied 762 adults in Texas to find out how people feel about using AI versus Google for health information. We showed participants realistic examples of both Google search results and AI responses about colorectal cancer symptoms. Some people saw information about serious symptoms (like blood in stool), while others saw less worrying symptoms (like occasional gas). We then asked them how useful, easy to use, and trustworthy they found each type of search, and whether they would actually use it for health questions.Our results showed that people strongly preferred Google over AI for health information across every measure we tested. They found Google more trustworthy, easier to use, and more helpful. Surprisingly, it didn't matter whether the symptoms were serious or minor - people consistently chose Google over AI regardless. The biggest factor in whether people would use a search method was how much they trusted it.These findings matter because AI is becoming more common in health information, but people may not be ready to trust it yet. For cancer prevention, this means patients might be more likely to act on information from familiar sources like Google rather than AI. Healthcare providers should be aware that patients may have different levels of trust in AI-generated health advice, which could affect how they interpret symptoms and decide when to seek medical care.