Amazon launches AI health assistant on its website and app

Amazon was announced on Tuesday that it is expanding access to its health AI assistant on its website and app. The assistant, called Health AI, was previously only available in the app for One Medical, the healthcare company that Amazon acquired for $3,9 billion in 2023.

Health AI can answer questions, explain health records, manage prescription refills, schedule appointments and more. Users don't need to be Prime subscribers or One Medical members to use the assistant, Amazon says.

Amazon says that while Health AI can answer general health questions without accessing a person's medical information, it is designed to act as a personalized health assistant that can provide more tailored guidance and take actions, such as connecting you with healthcare professionals and treatments.

Of course, there are risks associated with sharing your health information with artificial intelligence and researchers hectare warning against by doing this, warning that companies are pulling user conversations for education.

Amazon said in its announcement that it trains “health AI models on abstract patterns without direct information recognition.” For example, if many patients ask about drug interactions, Amazon says it can use those patterns, keeping patient names anonymous, to improve how Health AI answers similar questions.

The company also said that all interactions with Health AI take place in a HIPAA-compliant environment and that conversations are protected by “encryption and strict access controls.” However, Amazon did not share exactly how the conversations are encrypted or who has access to them. TechCrunch has reached out for details.

With a user's permission, Health AI accesses their health information through the Health Information Exchange, which is the national secure system for sharing patient medical data.

Health AI can then interpret your lab results, diagnoses, and medical records to provide accurate, personalized answers about your symptoms and medications, Amazon says.

If you need professional care, Health AI can connect you with a One Medical provider. Prime members in the US who use Health AI get up to five free direct-messaging care consultations with a One Medical provider for more than 30 common conditions, including colds and flu, allergies, acid reflux, pink eye, urinary tract infections, erectile dysfunction, anti-aging skin care, hair loss and more. Non-Prime members can connect with One Medical providers through Amazon’s pay-per-visit option.

Users can sign up for Health AI at Amazon Health pageAs Amazon expands access, users will receive an email once they can access the assistant.

Once users have access, they must create or sign in to their personal Amazon Health profile. They can then start a conversation by typing their health question into the Health AI on Amazon.com or the Amazon app.

Users can ask questions like “Can you explain my recent cholesterol results to me and what they mean for me?” or “I feel congested and have a sore throat. What should I do?”

Η επέκταση του Health AI της Amazon έρχεται καθώς δημοφιλείς υπηρεσίες τεχνητής νοημοσύνης έχουν μετακινηθεί γρήγορα στον χώρο της υγειονομικής περίθαλψης. Τον Ιανουάριο, η OpenAI κυκλοφόρησε το ChatGPT Health, μια έκδοση του chatbot της προσαρμοσμένης για να απαντά σε ερωτήσεις υγείας. Μια εβδομάδα αργότερα, η Anthropic ανακοίνωσε το δικό της προϊόν που εστιάζει στην υγειονομική περίθαλψη, το Claude for Healthcare.