Whether we admit to it or not, most of us use Google [Gemini] or ChatGPT to search for symptoms and health information, financial insight or legal advice. Surveys say 72% – 90% of us do.
These tools, the operative word here, don’t replace these professionals but it gives people a better baseline to mention notable symptoms or patterns giving them better questions to ask to find a solution.
This isn’t the issue, it’s how the professional reacts once they realize you have used these tools to prepare for your meeting with them.
Just a few years ago, my husband went to see a podiatrist having never been to one before. As they discussed his issue and symptoms, she chastised him for consulting “Dr. Google” instead of solely relying on her diagnosis. She chose not to believe people had been doing this for decades and that my husband was likely the first one to verbally acknowledge his findings directly to her rather than keeping it private.
I had a similar experience but this was 20+ years ago. Back then, it was more like finding and reading research papers which helped me figure out what was causing my sudden and intense tinnitus (which I completely mispronounced) in both ears. It’s what got me to go to a ENT doctor who reconfirmed my hearing loss which I knew about since I was 13. However, it didn’t explain the severe onset of the tinnitus that was growing worse by the day. The research pointed me to the increased dosage of a daily pill my other doctor had recently prescribed. Once I went back to the original dosage, the tinnitus eventually disappeared but not my hearing loss.
When I told the ENT doctor the connection I had made to the possible cause, I knew I completely caught him off guard even after explaining that I originally went to college to do medical research and that I was in graduate school at the time. But what surprised me the next time I saw him, was that he had done even more research in the interim and had better information and agreed with me.
In 2026, the professionals you consult should be one step ahead of you.
They should fully realize the extent to which people are using these tools to solve their problems, good or bad. Doctors need to be aware of all the so-called health and wellness influencers and what they are promoting. The same is true for financial professionals.
In 2026, the single most important criterion people seek in a financial advisor is trust, closely paired with an advisor’s ability to listen to and understand their personal life goals. Having any specific certification or even the gold standard of the CFP didn’t even make the top criteria.
If your doctor, financial professional or attorney dismisses the research you did to better prepare for the appointment or meeting as frivolous or insulting, it’s an indication that they are not keeping up with technology and wish to remain in a world that doesn’t change. Having a baseline knowledge gives you the confidence to fully discuss the matter and to ask more intentional questions rather than going in cold, confused and reactive.
On a recent visit to my primary care physician, he was explaining to me that a new blood test was available but that there was nothing available, no medication or treatment, to do anything about it if it came back positive for this condition. He was one step ahead of me because I really hadn’t heard about it yet. He gave me the full picture with the reasons why it really isn’t useful yet.
This is how the trust and respect is built and maintained. It’s a collaborative approach of making sense of the influencer, AI-driven information rather than a defensive correction back to you.
It isn’t limited to only these professionals. Three quotes did not get us the full truth on our chimney issues. We ended up contracting with a 4th company recommended by our new neighbor. My husband used ChatGPT rigorously to ask the questions verifying the work proposed would fully resolve everything and the company didn’t flail in their answers. Unlike the one company whose camera inspection system lost connectivity partway up our chimney and still certified it as good all the way up. Then stopped communicating with us when we questioned it. The issue was at the very top. It may end up slightly more expensive than we anticipated but are willing to pay for it to be done right. You don’t want to mess with gas and fire.
Health and money shouldn’t be messed with either. If a professional doesn’t treat you with the respect you exude them, the trust will deteriorate and the relationship will become suboptimal. People didn’t stop using Google in the past and they won’t stop using AI now. The professionals who are learning to use these tools and information in tandem with their specific training, credentials and experience will secure the way ahead for us.
Doctors, CFPs and lawyers all share a fiduciary or absolute duty to act in the best interest of their patients and clients. Those who remain technologically illiterate are failing to uphold this duty. And that duty is staying ahead in the world we now live.
How to Safely Use AI to Help You Prepare for Your Next Doctor Visit | Kettering Health
How Will AI Affect Financial Planning for Retirement? – Center for Retirement Research