Microsoft is expanding its foray into AI-powered healthcare with the launch of Copilot Health, a specialized version of its Copilot AI assistant. The new tool aims to help individuals better understand medical information by aggregating data from various sources, reflecting a growing trend of AI applications in the health sector.
The move comes as the popularity of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a platform for health-related discussions and information continues to rise. AI offers readily available, personalized, and non-judgmental responses 24/7, presenting a potentially lower-cost and faster alternative to professional healthcare. This increasing reliance on AI for health information is prompting major technology companies to invest in the space.
According to the company, Microsoft’s consumer products currently handle over 50 million health-related queries daily, ranging from symptom knowledge searches to information gathering on medical conditions and treatments. Copilot Health is designed to build on this existing demand, though Microsoft emphasizes it is not intended to replace a doctor.
“Copilot Health will equip people with the information they need to make the most of visits with doctors and healthcare professionals,” the company stated. The service will gather information from “your health records, data from wearable devices, and health history” to provide easily understandable details.
Currently, Copilot Health is being rolled out in a phased launch, with users in the U.S. Invited to join a waitlist for access. The AI assistant leverages data from approximately 50,000 domestic hospitals and related facilities through the integrated health records provider, HealthEx. Anthropic, another AI company, is also utilizing HealthEx for its Claude chatbot, launched in January.
Microsoft has confirmed that Copilot Health has achieved ISO/IEC 42001 certification, verified by an independent third party. The development of the tool also involved contributions from over 230 doctors across 24 countries, who emphasized that the data would not be used to train the model. The certification and medical input underscore Microsoft’s commitment to responsible AI development in a sensitive field.
The launch of Copilot Health signals a growing trend of tech companies leveraging AI to address challenges in healthcare access and information. However, Microsoft cautions that the service is not intended for diagnosing, treating, or preventing diseases and should not be relied upon as a substitute for proper medical care.
Users are increasingly turning to AI to check complex symptoms interactively, overcome barriers to care, and seek validation, often feeling more heard by AI than in traditional medical settings.
