Exclusive: Phones fuel more personal AI prompts
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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Health questions people ask Microsoft Copilot on phones are more urgent and emotionally sensitive than those asked on computers, according to data shared first with Axios.
Why it matters: Health is a top use case for Copilot. The new data shows what people are asking — and how device choice shapes those questions.
What they did: Researchers analyzed more than 500,000 health- and well-being-related Copilot conversations from January 2026.
What they found: Mobile users are far more likely to ask about specific symptoms affecting themselves or a family member.
- Desktop prompts are more often broad research questions.
Stunning stat: People aren't just asking about their own health issues: Roughly 1 in 7 symptom and condition management conversations are on behalf of someone else — often a child, aging parent or partner.
- Uploading health data comes with a variety of complications.
- While health data from your doctor is protected by the federal HIPAA law, there aren't necessarily similar protections for medical data shared with an AI chatbot.
- And the Microsoft data shows the data isn't even always one's own that is being shared.
By the numbers: Roughly 40% of conversations involved general questions about medical conditions, symptoms and treatment.
- Nearly 11% were highly specific questions about interpreting symptoms for themselves or someone close to them.
- Nearly 6% focused on navigating the health care system, including insurance or benefits.
- The remaining share is distributed across things like fitness coaching, academic support and emotional wellbeing.
What they're saying: Microsoft says AI can play a role in helping narrow the gap between the demand for medical knowledge and the availability of medical professionals, especially outside of regular business hours.
- "It is such a substantial problem and such a growing problem," Microsoft AI VP Dominic King told Axios. "This feels like the easiest path for now for people to get their expertise and support."
What we're watching: Health is a focus for several AI companies, including OpenAI, which launched ChatGPT Health in January.
- In a related blog post, Microsoft hinted at more health features to come: "AI must deliver for health. We will keep working to ensure that it does."
