5 Ways AI is Reinventing Health

(#1) Your Diagnostician / MD Copilot

What if you could detect cancer, heart disease, or other life-threatening conditions before they've cost you a single dollar or hospital visit? Welcome to the future of AI-driven medical diagnostics.

Medical diagnostics is the process of determining which disease or condition explains your symptoms. Traditionally, this has relied on human expertise and interpretation. But now, AI in combination with a new generation of imaging, blood tests and sensors is promising faster, more accurate, and more accessible diagnoses.

When ChatGPT aced the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam in early 2023, it sent shockwaves through the medical community. Now, imagine how much further AI might progress in medicine over the next decade. The partnership between AI and healthcare workers is not just coming—it's already here, and it's set to revolutionize the entire industry.

Let's look at several companies spanning the new fields of AI diagnostician and MD copilot that are transforming healthcare:

PathAI is transforming pathology with machine learning and computer vision. Their AI analyzes pathology slides to detect cancer and other diseases, improving diagnostic accuracy by 20% and reducing errors by 25% compared to traditional methods. Recently, PathAI partnered with Roche to integrate their technology into digital pathology workflows globally.

In radiology, AI is making significant strides. A Swedish study of 80,000 women found that a single radiologist working with AI detected 20% more cancers than two radiologists working without the technology. This not only improves accuracy but also addresses workforce shortages by decreasing human workload by 44%.

Kheiron Medical Technologies is pushing the boundaries of breast cancer detection. Their AI tool, Mia, detected up to 13% more breast cancers than humans alone in a study of over 25,000 women. Impressively, 83% of these additional cancers were invasive, highlighting Mia's potential for crucial early detection.

Aidoc is tackling time-sensitive diagnoses with their AI-driven radiology solutions. Their FDA-cleared platform reduces time to diagnosis by up to 50% and boasts a 95% sensitivity rate for flagged findings.

Color Health is pushing the envelope with its AI-powered cancer copilot. Developed in partnership with OpenAI, this assistant helps doctors create personalized cancer screening and treatment plans. By ingesting patient data and clinical guidelines, it generates virtual care plans in a fraction of the time it would take a human. In trials, clinicians analyzed patient records in just 5 minutes using this copilot.

The recently announced OpenAI and Thrive partnership is taking a different approach with Thrive AI Health. This venture is developing a hyper-personalized AI health coach focusing on sleep, nutrition, fitness, stress management, and social connection. Led by CEO DeCarlos Love, formerly of Google, the coach aims to address the staggering $4.1 trillion U.S. healthcare spending, of which 90% goes to chronic conditions. Imagine having a JARVIS-like AI that knows your health data, habits, and goals, providing expert-level wellness advice 24x7.

(#2) 24x7 Always-on Monitoring

Historically, medicine has been episodic, reactive and retrospective. Either you go to the doctor once a year for your “check-up” or you go when you are sick.

We’re now transitioning to an era where healthcare never sleeps—where AI is constantly consuming data from sensors on your body, in your body and around your home—feeding your personal medical AI. This isn't science fiction—it's happening now.

Here are some of the companies leading this healthcare revolution:

Biolinq uses minimally invasive biosensors for continuous glucose monitoring, as well as lactate and ketones, boasting an impressive 95% accuracy in clinical trials. Biolinq's patch-like sensor, worn on the skin, measures interstitial fluid to provide real-time glucose data. NOTE: Biolinq is one of the companies I’m excited to share with those joining me at my upcoming Longevity Platinum Trip.

With a mere 10 seconds AI-based voice analysis, Klick Labs’ smartphone app can predict type 2 diabetes with up to 89% accuracy.

Casana has developed a smart toilet technology to detect pulse rate and blood oxygen saturation, and soon blood pressure monitoring.

Omron HeartGuide is the only FDA-cleared blood pressure smartwatch. Using oscillometric technology, the device has a small cuff that inflates around the wrist, similar to the arm cuff that people may use in a doctor’s office.

Canary Speech’s platform performs an AI analysis of a 40-second voice recording to assess stress, mood, and energy levels—screening for anxiety, depression, and dementia with over 90% accuracy. Similarly, Sonde Health’s AI uses vocal biomarkers to monitor cognitive, mental, and respiratory health. Using just 6 seconds of voice on a smartphone, Sonde Health can evaluate respiratory symptoms like coughing, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing and chest tightness.

Researchers at Boston University have developed an AI tool that uses natural language processing to analyze interviews to detect subtle linguistic biomarkers associated with Alzheimer's risk. Their AI achieved an 78.5% accuracy over a six-year period in predicting cognitive decline as published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia.

Apple Watch, the most popular wearable in the world, isn’t just a smartwatch—it’s a comprehensive health monitoring system following metrics including heart rate, steps, PO2 levels, calories burned, FDA-approved ECG, fall detection, menstrual cycle tracking, and AFib.

(#3) AI Drug Discovery

Insilico Medicine is a pioneer in this field. Founded by Dr. Alex Zhavoronkov, Insilico's AI platform accomplishes with 50 people what traditional pharma does with 5,000. They use something called Generative Adversarial Networks or GANs to help design, de-novo, unique molecules to cure diseases. Their recent milestones are impressive: FDA clearance for an AI-designed treatment, a Phase 2 trial for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and the identification of dual-purpose targets for anti-aging and brain tumor treatments. In April 2024, their AI-designed drug ISM3412 received FDA IND approval for solid tumors.

This is a future where AI is disrupting the multi-trillion-dollar pharmaceutical industry.

Following Insilico, are a number of new AI drug discovery companies:

Xaira burst onto the scene with a staggering $1 billion in funding. This San Francisco Bay Area-based powerhouse combines machine learning, data generation, and therapeutic product development. Co-founded by protein design expert Dr. David Baker, Xaira leverages advanced models like RFdiffusion and RFantibody to forge new connections between biological targets, engineered molecules, and human diseases.

Rubedo Life Sciences is tackling age-related diseases head-on. Their AI-driven approach uses machine learning and single-cell RNA sequencing to develop therapies targeting senescent cells. Early preclinical studies show a 30% improvement in healthspan in animal models, offering hope for extended vitality as we age.

Verge Genomics focuses on AI-developed drugs to address neurodegenerative diseases. Their machine learning platform maps disease mechanisms and discovers new therapeutic targets, reducing drug candidate identification time by 50%. With several compounds in preclinical development, Verge is poised to make significant strides in treating complex neurological conditions.

NOTE: Both Rubedo and Verge Genomics are companies that will be participating and keynoting at my upcoming Longevity Platinum Trip.

(#4) AI Model of YOU / Designer Meds

DeepMind, part of Alphabet, is using AI to model the interactions of the molecules of life. Their first algorithm in this area, AlphaFold, was nothing less than extraordinary. In 2018, AlphaFold cracked the code of predicting a single protein's structure based solely on its amino acid sequence. By 2020, it had mapped 350,000 proteins, earning Science's "Breakthrough of the Year." In 2022, AlphaFold unveiled the structures of over 200 million proteins, from bacteria to humans, opening new frontiers in drug development and evolutionary studies.

Enter AlphaFold 3, unveiled in May 2024. This groundbreaking model goes beyond proteins, predicting the structure and interactions of DNA, lipids, and carbohydrates with unprecedented accuracy. AlphaFold 3 improves prediction accuracy by at least 50%, sometimes even doubling it for crucial categories.

One of the most exciting features of AlphaFold 3 is its ability to model dynamic molecular interactions. It can predict how proteins change shape when binding to other molecules, a crucial aspect of drug design. This capability has already led to breakthroughs in designing new antibodies and small molecule drugs.

So where does this technology go next? What about the ability to model the biochemical interactions within an entire human cell, offering a crystal-clear view of your unique cellular landscape.

Two organizations leading this work are the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) and DeepLife, each of which is leveraging AI to create virtual cell models, dramatically accelerating drug discovery and advancing precision medicine.

CZI, led by AI head Theofanis Karaletsos, is building a virtual cell platform that predicts cellular behavior by integrating data from nearly 100 million cells. Their high-performance computing cluster, boasting over 1,000 GPUs, processes this vast dataset to generate comprehensive cell models.

Meanwhile, DeepLife has mapped over 30 atlases comprising 20+ million single cells to create digital twins for in silico drug testing. Their platform can rapidly evaluate billions of drug combinations, significantly streamlining the drug discovery process.

These technologies are already showing promise. DeepLife has successfully predicted cellular responses to viral infections and cancer treatments, while CZI's open-science approach is fostering unprecedented collaboration in the field.

The implications of this work are profound and far-reaching.

By enabling rapid in silico testing, these virtual cell models could slash drug development timelines from years to months, potentially saving billions in R&D costs. For rare diseases, where patient populations are small, these models offer a way to test treatments without extensive clinical trials. Moreover, the ability to create personalized cell models could revolutionize precision medicine, allowing doctors to predict a patient's response to different treatments before administering them. This could be particularly impactful in complex diseases like cancer, where treatment efficacy can vary widely between individuals. As these technologies mature, they may also reduce the need for animal testing, addressing ethical concerns in drug development. Ultimately, this convergence of AI and biology promises to democratize drug discovery, potentially leading to a flood of new treatments for a wide range of diseases.

(#5) Robot Surgeons

Can you imagine your next surgery being performed by an AI-driven robot, delivering consistent results at a fraction of the cost? 

This isn't science fiction—it's the future of healthcare, and it's happening now. AI-powered robotic surgery is disrupting traditional practices, offering unparalleled precision, reduced recovery times, and the potential to democratize access to top-tier surgical care worldwide.

Unlike human surgeons who might perform hundreds of procedures annually, AI-robotic platforms can draw from millions of operations, continuously learning and improving. These systems can see beyond human capabilities, using infrared and ultraviolet imaging to guide their extraordinarily accurate movements. Let's review some of the companies at the forefront of this surgical revolution:

Intuitive Surgical leads the pack with its da Vinci robot. This system enables skilled surgeons to operate remotely, having facilitated over 10 million procedures to date. Recently, Intuitive launched the da Vinci 5, featuring force feedback controllers that reduced tissue force by 43% in preclinical trials. With computing power 10,000 times greater than its predecessor, the da Vinci 5 promises to revolutionize surgical precision and patient outcomes.

Medtronic, based in Connecticut, is pushing the boundaries of robotic-assisted surgery with AI integration. Their technology provides real-time data analytics and enhanced surgical capabilities, aiming to improve accuracy and efficiency in minimally invasive surgeries. Early clinical trials show a 25% reduction in surgery times and a 30% improvement in patient recovery outcomes.

The Versius Robotic System is making waves in the UK, where it recently facilitated the first robotic kidney surgery on a seven-year-old patient. This system's unique "wrist rotation" allows for smaller incisions, minimizing trauma and potentially speeding recovery.

Perceptive, a Boston-based startup, is taking automation even further. They've successfully performed the first fully automated dental procedure on a human using their AI-powered robotic system. By integrating 3D imaging, AI, and robotics, Perceptive aims to complete crown placements in just 15 minutes, dramatically improving efficiency and accuracy in dentistry.

Medical Microinstruments (MMI) and their groundbreaking robotic Symani Surgical enables surgeons to reconnect blood vessels as small as 0.3mm, revolutionizing microsurgery. Recently granted FDA de novo authorization, Symani is the only commercially available system in the U.S. for reconstructive microsurgery. It's been used in Europe for cranio-maxillofacial procedures, extremity reconstruction, and lymphatic surgery. Symani could expand the pool of physicians capable of performing these intricate procedures, potentially addressing the looming shortage of specialized surgeons. Just this month, the company announced that it has completed a preclinical study evaluating Symani in neurosurgical procedures.

Why This Matters

With the promise of digitized, dematerialized, demonetized, and democratized next-generation healthcare, we will have the ability to create unprecedented abundance in this area.  

After all, there is no greater wealth than your health. 

Do you find these advances outlandish? Unrealistic? If so, just remember how far medicine has come in the past 100 years. 

Then, consider the fact that in the next decade we’re going to see as much technological change as we’ve seen the past century. 

The future of medicine will not be linear—it’s exponential and to a large degree shocking.

If you’re in the medical field, how will you navigate these coming disruptions?

And if you’re not in the medical field, how will the transformation of healthcare impact your personal health and your business? What opportunities will it create?