FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 5, 2026
Contact:[email protected]
HOUSTON — Today, the NAACP and Sanofi released the latest installment of its ACE Your Health StoryMap series, “AI Fluency is a Challenge on Both Sides of the Exam Room.” Unveiled at the AfroTech Conference 2026, the new data-driven analysis examines the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare and the barriers that could prevent Black communities from fully benefiting from emerging technologies.
The report finds that while AI is rapidly transforming how Americans access health information and how healthcare providers deliver care, longstanding disparities in healthcare access, broadband connectivity, digital fluency, and trust threaten to deepen existing inequities.
“AI has already reshaped healthcare and continues to do so. But innovation alone won’t magically eliminate disparities,” said Dr. Chris T. Pernell, Director of the NAACP Center for Health Equity. “Today, millions of Americans are already using AI to answer health questions, while healthcare systems increasingly rely on AI-powered tools to support clinical care. But too many Black communities continue to face healthcare deserts, provider shortages, clinic closures, inadequate internet access, and concerns about racial bias. If these gaps remain unaddressed, AI could inadvertently widen existing healthcare disparities instead of helping close them. Equity and fairness must be intentionally designed into the future of healthcare AI from the very beginning, not as patchwork fixes.”
The report draws on findings from the ACE Your Health initiative, a groundbreaking collaboration between NAACP and Sanofi, alongside national datasets and insights from nearly 23,000 community members across 47 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The report explores how communities are navigating a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape where AI increasingly influences health information, care delivery, and patient decision-making.
“Scientific innovation is transforming healthcare in ways that were unimaginable just a few years ago, but innovation must be matched by intentional efforts to expand access, build trust, and address barriers that prevent communities from fully benefiting from these advances,” said Tanisha M. Sullivan, Head, External Engagement & Health Equity Strategy, Sanofi. “Pharmaceutical companies have an important role to play, not only in developing breakthrough medicines and technologies, but also in partnering with community organizations, healthcare providers, and policymakers to ensure those innovations reach the people who need them most, ensuring no community gets left behind.”
Several key findings from the report include:
Artificial intelligence is already becoming a routine part of healthcare decision-making. Americans ask Microsoft Copilot and Bing approximately 50 million health-related questions each day, while 81% of physicians report already using AI in their work.
Many people are turning to AI because traditional healthcare can be difficult to access. Nineteen percent of people using AI for health information report they could not afford to see a provider. Black adults are significantly more likely than White adults to use AI for mental health advice.
Healthcare access gaps remain severe in many Black communities. One in three Americans lives in a healthcare desert, and in the Mississippi Delta, all 154,000 Black residents live more than 25 miles from a hospital rated four or five stars.
The digital divide remains a major barrier to equitable healthcare innovation. Approximately 3.8 million Black Americans live in homes without broadband internet subscriptions, limiting access to digital health tools and AI-enabled resources.
Trust remains a critical concern. Nearly two-thirds of Black adults believe racial bias remains a major problem in healthcare, while one-third expect AI to increase bias in healthcare settings.
In addition to highlighting challenges, the report outlines actionable steps communities can take, such as:
- Increasing broadband adoption efforts
- Boosting AI fluency and digital skills training
- Bolstering community-based health education
- Advocating for equitable technology policies.
- Adding their voices to the StoryMap
“This StoryMap helps bridge the health equity gap caused by the uneven spread of AI and tech by turning complex information into compelling and accessible content that clearly shows the state of health equity in America,” said Clinton G. Johnson, Chief Visionary Officer, Us At Spaces LLC. “By visualizing the realities behind healthcare access, digital connectivity, and AI adoption, we’re helping communities move from awareness to action and ensuring that innovation serves everyone, not just those with the greatest access.”
The report is the third installment of the ACE Your Health initiative’s StoryMaps series, which combines community voices, public health research, and innovative data storytelling to explore emerging issues affecting health equity across the United States. The report follows the NAACP’s AI White Paper on designing AI for health equity, and its Policy Framework for Equitable Health AI. To read the findings of the full report or explore other ACE Your Health resources, visit naacp.org.
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About NAACP
The NAACP advocates, agitates, and litigates for the civil rights due to Black America. Our legacy is built on the foundation of grassroots activism by the biggest civil rights pioneers of the 20th century and is sustained by 21st-century activists. From classrooms and courtrooms to city halls and Congress, our network of members across the country works to secure the social and political power that will end race-based discrimination. That work is rooted in racial equity, civic engagement, and supportive policies and institutions for all marginalized people. We are committed to a world without racism where Black people enjoy equitable opportunities in thriving communities.
NOTE: The Legal Defense Fund – also referred to as the NAACP-LDF – was founded in 1940 as a part of the NAACP, but now operates as a completely separate entity.
About Sanofi
Sanofi is an R&D driven, AI-powered biopharma company committed to improving people’s lives and delivering compelling growth. We apply our deep understanding of the immune system to invent medicines and vaccines that treat and protect millions of people around the world, with an innovative pipeline that could benefit millions more. Our team is guided by one purpose: we chase the miracles of science to improve people’s lives; this inspires us to drive progress and deliver positive impact for our people and the communities we serve, by addressing the most urgent healthcare, environmental, and societal challenges of our time.
About ACE Your Health Initiative
Launched in 2024, the ACE Your Health initiative is a collaboration between the NAACP and the bio pharmaceutical company Sanofi designed to help advance health equity in respiratory and chronic health, and increase community trust and fluency in emerging technologies like artificial intelligence tools.
Source: naacp.org
