The misuse of AI chatbots in healthcare is the leading health technology hazard for 2026, according to a new report from patient safety organization ECRI.
The annual ranking highlights risks tied to the growing use of AI-powered chatbots by clinicians, patients and healthcare staff — even though the tools are not regulated as medical devices or validated for clinical use. ECRI, an independent, nonpartisan organization, released its findings Jan. 21 as part of its “Top 10 Health Technology Hazards” report.
In the report, ECRI warns that chatbots can generate responses that sound authoritative but may be inaccurate or misleading, potentially leading to patient harm. The organization notes that these systems rely on large language models that predict word patterns rather than truly understanding medical context, which can result in confident-sounding but unreliable guidance.
The report also identifies other safety threats that ECRI says require urgent attention in 2026. They include:
- Misuse of AI chatbots in healthcare
- Unpreparedness for a “digital darkness” event, or a sudden loss of access to electronic systems and patient information
- Substandard and falsified medical products
- Recall communication failures for home diabetes management technologies
- Misconnections of syringes or tubing to patient lines, particularly amid slow ENFit and NRFit adoption
- Underutilizing medication safety technologies in perioperative settings
- Inadequate device cleaning instructions
- Cybersecurity risks from legacy medical devices
- Health technology implementations that prompt unsafe clinical workflows
- Poor water quality during instrument sterilization
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