There are more AI health tools than ever—but how well do they work?
Why it matters: Millions of people are using AI for health advice, but without independent testing, their safety and effectiveness are unknown.
- Microsoft launched Copilot Health, allowing users to connect medical records and ask health questions, citing 50 million daily health questions on Copilot.
- Amazon made its LLM-based Health AI, previously exclusive to One Medical, widely available, joining a growing trend of accessible health AI.
- OpenAI released ChatGPT Health in January, and Anthropic's Claude can also access user health records if permitted, further expanding the market.
- Andrew Bean of the Oxford Internet Institute agrees these models might be ready for rollout but stresses that the "evidence base really needs to be there" from independent experts.
- Dominic King of Microsoft AI highlights both the "enormous progress in the capabilities of generative AI" and significant user demand as core reasons for the new health products.
Major tech companies like Microsoft, Amazon, OpenAI, and Anthropic are rapidly rolling out AI-powered health tools, driven by both advancements in large language models and overwhelming public demand for accessible health advice. While developers like Microsoft's Dominic King assert these models are ready, experts like Andrew Bean emphasize the critical need for rigorous, independent evaluation to ensure safety and efficacy before widespread adoption.
