Artificial intelligence (AI) companies are increasingly turning to healthcare and medical research in an effort to improve the technology’s public image amid growing criticism over environmental pollution, massive electricity consumption and concerns about job losses.
However, experts say major breakthroughs may still be years away. The lack of an immediate “miracle drug” and potential safety risks surrounding AI-driven biotechnology have also sparked debate over whether the industry’s growing involvement in healthcare will deliver meaningful benefits.
According to a recent report by The Wall Street Journal, Anthropic is making a major push into healthcare as it prepares for an initial public offering (IPO), seeking to strengthen investor confidence. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has said the company is moving rapidly into biology and medicine.
Anthropic is not alone. Nvidia and pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly are reportedly establishing a $1 billion drug-discovery laboratory in San Francisco. Meanwhile, Isomorphic Labs, Google’s AI-focused spin-off, has raised $2.1 billion and is recruiting AI and clinical experts while working with major pharmaceutical companies.
The potential benefits of AI in healthcare are significant, particularly in accelerating drug discovery and improving the precision of medical services. But the expansion of AI infrastructure also comes with challenges. High data-centre energy consumption remains a major concern, while the cost of sophisticated software could potentially make healthcare more expensive.
There are also security concerns. Experts warn that AI technologies could potentially be misused to assist in the development of biological weapons. In response, Anthropic has strengthened safeguards in its new Claude 5 model.
Lloyd Price, a partner at digital-health mergers and acquisitions firm Nelson Advisors, said healthcare offers AI companies preparing for IPOs both a potential new source of revenue and a way to win public support.
If AI achieves major breakthroughs in medical science, the technology could increasingly be viewed as an essential tool for improving human health rather than primarily as a source of environmental and security concerns.
Still, several obstacles remain, including regulatory policies under the Trump administration, concerns that AI companies may put profits ahead of public interest, and growing public unease about the technology.
According to Price, public acceptance of the vast infrastructure being built to support AI will ultimately depend on whether companies can demonstrate tangible benefits from the technology in healthcare.
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