With many Americans turning to large language models for health advice, health systems around the country are eyeing and even rolling out their own branded chatbots in an attempt to harness this already popular tool and steer more people to their services. But the burgeoning trend is raising immediate questions and concerns for the country's complicated and generally underperforming health care system.
Executives frame the new offerings as a convenience for patients, meeting people where they are and providing a service with digital equity. They also suggest their chatbots will be a safer alternative to commercial versions people are using now.
"We are at an inflection point in healthcare," Allon Bloch, CEO of clinical AI company K Health, said in a statement. "Demand is accelerating, and patients are already using AI to navigate their lives."