Parental Trust in Artificial Intelligence and Pediatricians: A Cross-Sectional Study of Diagnostic Preferences and Healthcare-Seeking Behaviors in Saudi Arabia

IntroductionArtificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly used by parents to obtain health information and may influence healthcare decision-making in pediatric settings.However, little is known about how parents respond when AI-generated recommendations conflict with pediatricians' assessments.This study aimed to evaluate parental trust in AI and pediatricians, assess diagnostic preferences during AI-pediatrician disagreement, and identify factors associated with reliance on AI recommendations among parents in Saudi Arabia. MethodsA cross-sectional online survey was conducted among parents in Saudi Arabia.Participants completed a structured questionnaire assessing demographics, AI familiarity and use, trust in AI and pediatricians, and intended healthcare-seeking behavior during a hypothetical scenario involving disagreement between an AI system and a pediatrician.Factors associated with preference for AI recommendations were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression. ResultsA total of 420 parents participated.Most respondents were familiar with AI technologies (n=346, 82.4%), and 176 (41.9%) had previously used AI for child health information.Trust in pediatricians was higher than trust in AI (mean trust score: 4.42 ± 0.51 vs. 3.21 ± 0.76).During a hypothetical diagnostic disagreement, 321 (76.4%) parents favored the pediatrician's opinion, whereas only 37 (8.8%) preferred the AI recommendation.The most common intended responses were seeking a second pediatric opinion (n=174, 41.4%) or following the original pediatrician's advice (n=173, 41.2%).Previous use of AI for child-health information (adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=2.93,95% CI: 1.67-5.13;p<0.001) and higher trust in AI (aOR=4.82,95% CI: 2.61-8.91;p<0.001) were independently associated with preference for AI recommendations, whereas higher trust in pediatricians was associated with lower odds of preferring AI recommendations (aOR=0.41,95% CI: 0.23-0.74;p=0.003). ConclusionsAlthough AI use was common among Saudi parents, pediatricians remained the preferred and most trusted source of healthcare advice.When AI recommendations conflicted with physician assessments, most parents favored pediatricians or sought additional professional opinions rather than relying on AI alone.AI presently appears to serve as a complementary source of health information rather than a substitute for pediatric expertise.