Neuroception of Psychological Safety and Attitude Towards General AI in uHealth Context

Interest in general AI is widespread, and much is expected from its large-scale adoption in the healthcare sector. However, the success of uHealth implementations relies on genuine trust, beyond technical performance. Neuroception of psychological safety (NPS), grounded in polyvagal theory, encompasses the human subconscious and automatic processes of safety and risk detection. We conducted a cross-sectional survey to explore a hypothetical connection between NPS and the perception of general AI in the uHealth context, by an anonymous online questionnaire comprising the following: Neuroception of Psychological Safety Scale (NPSS), four-item AI Attitude Scale (AIAS-4), and questions on AI threat, age, gender, and level of education. Multivariate analysis was performed using covariance-based structural equation modeling. We received 201 responses: 73 (36.3%) males vs. 128 (63.7%) females, all adults with varying levels of education (from 0 = basic formal education to 4 = master’s degree). Respondents belonged to four demographic cohorts: from Baby boomers to Generation Z. SEM results indicated that attitudes towards AI-driven health interventions are significantly impacted by social engagement and compassion (NPSS factors). Gender, education, and demographic cohort were confirmed as significant covariates. NPS-related attitudes towards AI should be considered and analyzed by healthcare providers, application developers, and policy or regulatory authorities.