Amazon launches its healthcare AI assistant on its website and app

Amazon announced Tuesday that it is expanding access to its AI healthcare assistant to its website and app. The assistant, called Health AI, was previously only available on the app of One Medical, the healthcare company that Amazon acquired for $3.9 billion in 2023.

Health AI can answer questions, explain medical records, manage prescription renewals, book appointments and more. Users don’t have 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 an individual’s medical information, it is designed to serve as a personalized health assistant that can provide more customized 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 AI, as well researchers Are warning against They also warn that companies use user conversations for training.

Amazon said in a press release that it “trains AI health models on abstracted patterns without directly identifying information.” For example, if multiple patients ask questions about drug interactions, Amazon says it could use these patterns, while keeping the patients’ names private, to improve the way Health AI responds to similar questions.

The company also said that all interactions with Health AI take place within a HIPAA compliant environment, and that conversations are protected by “encryption and strict access controls.” However, Amazon has not shared how exactly calls are encrypted and who has access to them. TechCrunch has reached out for more information.

If you give Health AI access to your health information, Amazon says it will do so through the Health Information Exchange, the nation’s 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 receive up to five free direct-message 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 to One Medical providers through Amazon’s pay-per-visit option.

Users can sign up for Health AI on the Amazon Health page. As Amazon expands access, they will receive an email once they gain access to the assistant.

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

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

Amazon’s expansion of Health AI comes as popular AI services have quickly entered the healthcare space. OpenAI released ChatGPT Health in January, a version of its chatbot tailored to answering health questions. A week later, Anthropic announced its own healthcare-focused product, Claude for Healthcare.