By Leah Goodridge
Publication Date: 2026-01-25 14:00:00
IIn Southern California, where homelessness rates are among the highest in the country, a private company, Akido Labs, runs clinics for unhoused patients and others with low incomes. The caveat? Patients are cared for by medical assistants who use artificial intelligence (AI) to listen to conversations and then spit out possible diagnoses and treatment plans, which are then reviewed by a doctor. The company’s goal is to “take the doctor out of the visit,” its chief technology officer told MIT Technology Review.
This is dangerous. Still, it’s part of a larger trend in which generative AI is making inroads into healthcare for medical professionals. In 2025, a survey by the American Medical Association found that two out of three doctors used AI to support their daily work, including diagnosing patients. An AI startup raised $200 million to provide medical professionals with an app called ChatGPT for Doctors. US lawmakers are considering a bill that…
