AI in Healthcare

Today's Stories

1. 1

   Intuitive demos AI for surgical robots, remote surgery

   Intuitive Surgical demonstrated artificial intelligence capabilities for its surgical robotics platform, including features for telesurgery (remote surgery performed by a doctor at a distance). AI integration into surgical robots could improve precision and safety during procedures, and telesurgery capabilities may expand access to specialized surgical expertise beyond geographic constraints—important for hospitals and surgical centers seeking to enhance operational capability.

   The article does not specify a timeline, pricing, regulatory status, or availability date for these AI features.

2. 2

   Biotech ETF XBI soars 25% this year as Big Pharma races to buy pipelines before patent cliffs hit

   The SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI) has gained 25% this year and nearly 80% over the past 12 months, hitting its highest level since February 2021. Big Pharma companies have acquired 37 biotech businesses valued at $1 billion（約1600億円） or more this year—exceeding the previous annual record of 35—with total deal value reaching $216 billion（約35兆円）, nearly doubling from $118 billion（約19兆円） last year. Recent blockbuster deals include Vertex's $10 billion（約1.6兆円） acquisition of Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, AbbVie's $10.9 billion（約1.7兆円） deal for Apogee Therapeutics, and GSK's $10.6 billion（約1.7兆円） purchase of Nuvalent. Patent expirations are forcing large drugmakers to act: Morningstar estimates that patent expirations could create a $139 billion（約22兆円） revenue headwind for the largest biopharma companies through 2030, with major products like Merck's Keytruda and Bristol Myers Squibb's Opdivo facing patent pressure around 2028–2029. Rather than accept years of clinical risk developing replacements internally, cash-rich pharma giants are buying companies with drugs already nearing approval or on the market. This creates a window for biotech assets that might otherwise have remained independent or struggled to fund development.

   Investors are hunting for the next wave of biotech deals; candidates include Viking Therapeutics (with obesity drug VK2735), Structure Therapeutics, Revolution Medicines, Legend Biotech, Incyte, BioMarin, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, and Moderna. Notably, retail sentiment toward XBI has reached a record-low score of 21 out of 100 on Stocktwits, marking an 'extremely bearish' shift, despite the ETF's strong outperformance—suggesting a potential mismatch between technical momentum and market sentiment heading into the July 31 options expiration.

3. 3

   Johnson & Johnson Funds AI Surgery Tools to Reduce Errors, Speed Training

   Johnson & Johnson's Polyphonic AI Fund for Surgery QuickFire Challenge selected awardees developing AI tools for the operating room in 2026. Winners include Curium Life's SurgiMeasure (a real-time anatomical measurement tool using computer vision and depth algorithms), the C1DO1 experiential learning platform (which uses AI and computer vision to review surgical videos and provide personalized feedback), and iQ Surgical's AI copilot for the operating room. Surgical knowledge has historically stayed isolated within individual operating rooms, limiting the ability to share insights and reduce variability in patient outcomes. Polyphonic connects surgical data, video, devices and AI insights into a single layer so healthcare teams can collaborate more effectively. The selected innovations aim to help surgeons work smarter and safer—SurgiMeasure acts like a parking assistant warning surgeons when they approach sensitive anatomy, while C1DO1 can help surgeons reach mastery in 10 to 20 cases rather than the hundreds typically required.

   C1DO1 is designed to accumulate information over time so it can provide increasingly personalized assessments; Dr. Varas is exploring how to extend the platform beyond surgeons to nurses, physical therapists and other healthcare professionals. The selected innovations may integrate with Polyphonic's open digital ecosystem to bring AI solutions into operating rooms globally.

4. 4

   ChatGPT health advice worse for free users, better for paying subscribers

   OpenAI is rolling out 'Health in ChatGPT' to U.S. users aged 18 and older, allowing them to connect Apple Health, medical records, and wellness apps. Free users receive lower-quality health advice powered by GPT-5.5 Instant, while paying subscribers access GPT-5.6 Sol, the flagship model. On OpenAI's HealthBench Professional test, GPT-5.6 Sol scores significantly higher than GPT-5.5 Instant—88.0 percent versus 53.2 percent on completeness, and 83.0 percent versus 50.8 percent on health decision helpfulness. However, benchmark tests do not capture what happens in actual medical exams, where doctors examine patients in person and draw on years of experience. OpenAI itself acknowledges that ChatGPT can still make mistakes and cannot replace medical advice.

   The feature is available in the U.S. only; OpenAI has not said whether or when it will be available in Europe, where it specifically excluded the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom when announced in January, likely due to stricter EU data privacy rules and the possibility that the feature could be classified as high-risk under the EU AI Act.

5. 5

   OpenAI rolls out ChatGPT Health to all US users, claims reasoning beats clinicians

   OpenAI is rolling out ChatGPT Health to everyone in the US on Thursday, allowing users to connect medical records and health-tracking information to the chatbot. The feature now appears in the main chat experience rather than a dedicated tab, and ChatGPT will ask permission before using health data to personalize responses. Users can connect data from health providers, Apple Health, Weight Watchers, MyFitnessPal, and Function. OpenAI's vice president of health product, Ashley Alexander, claims the company's models "are now capable of reasoning at levels that are better than clinician level," though Karan Singhal, OpenAI's health lead, tempered this by saying "there have been individual studies that have been pointing in that direction," citing research from Harvard and Stanford. The rollout comes as a Florida pastor sued OpenAI over claims ChatGPT provided "extremely dangerous medical recommendations" that allegedly led him to delay care for a pulmonary embolism.

   ChatGPT Health will run on OpenAI's latest models, including GPT-5.6 Sol, which the company claims is its "strongest model yet for health." The feature is available to all logged-in ChatGPT users aged 18 and older on the web and iOS across free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans. OpenAI emphasizes that ChatGPT Health "supports, not replaces, professional care."

6. 6

   OpenAI expands ChatGPT Health to all US users after lawsuit

   OpenAI made ChatGPT Health available to all U.S.-based users over 18 across all subscription tiers (free, Go, Plus, Pro) on web and iOS this week. The rollout lets users integrate health data from Apple Health, Function, MyFitnessPal, and medical records from systems like Epic and Oracle Health, and use that information across all chat queries, not just in a dedicated health hub. The company is seeing 300 million health-related queries per week, up from 230 million when testing began in January. The move comes one day after a Florida pastor sued OpenAI over a near-fatal health suggestion, putting pressure on the company to expand a feature it says helps users safely explore health information — though OpenAI maintains its services are "not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of any health condition."

   OpenAI's smallest model, GPT 5.6-Luna, outperforms GPT 5.5 on HealthBench, an internal benchmark for health queries. The company says it does not use user data to train its models and works with physicians to improve health-related answers. Users are encouraged to verify information and consult professional medical advice.