STAT+: Why conversations around health AI may be evolving beyond hype

STAT PlusNewsletterAI Prognosis Why conversations around health AI may be evolving beyond hype You’re reading the web edition of STAT’s AI Prognosis newsletter Manage alerts for this article Email this article Share this article By Brittany TrangApril 29, 2026 Health Tech Reporter Brittany Trang[email protected]Brittany Trang, Ph.D., is a health tech reporter at STAT and writes the AI Prognosis newsletter. Follow her on Threads, Mastodon, and Bluesky. You can reach Brittany on Signal at btrang.01. You’re reading the web edition of STAT’s AI Prognosis newsletter, our subscriber-exclusive guide to artificial intelligence in health care and medicine. Sign up to get it delivered in your inbox every Wednesday. My phone blew up while I was on vacation last week: The Associated Press Stylebook announced “health care” should actually be one word, “healthcare.” STAT is still deciding which we should use. Which do you prefer? You can weigh in here.Advertisement (Will my newsletters technically be shorter if we switch to “healthcare”? Food for thought.) Maybe now we can have a real conversation about AI in health care In his recent video “The People Do Not Yearn for Automation,” The Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel explains “software brain” — thinking about the world as a series of databases that are easily manipulated to solve problems — and why that is creating a disconnect between the AI world and everyone else. The AI world thinks that AI really can solve the world’s ills and thus anti-AI sentiment is just a marketing problem. But people who are trying to slow AI adoption have legitimate concerns about the tradeoffs and performance of the technology that software-brained people are dismissing, he says. STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — plus in-depth analysis, newsletters, premium events, and news alerts. Already have an account? Log in Monthly $39 Totals $468 per year $39/month Get Started Totals $468 per year Starter $30 for 3 months, then $399/year $30 for 3 months Get Started Then $399/year Annual $399 Save 15% $399/year Get Started Save 15% 11+ Users Custom Savings start at 25%! Request A Quote Request A Quote Savings start at 25%! 2-10 Users $300 Annually per user $300/year Get Started $300 Annually per user View All Plans To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+. Subscribe Log In Artificial intelligence, health tech, STAT+ Submit a correction requestReprints Brittany Trang Health Tech Reporter Brittany Trang, Ph.D., is a health tech reporter at STAT and writes the AI Prognosis newsletter. Follow her on Threads, Mastodon, and Bluesky. You can reach Brittany on Signal at btrang.01. Newsletter Tech is transforming health care and life sciences. Our original reporting is here to keep you ahead of the curve. Recommended AI Prognosis April 15, 2026 STAT Plus: A $15 AI test, Project Glasswing, and how Doctronic pilot blindsided Utah medical board AI Prognosis April 8, 2026 STAT Plus: Are AI scribes actually driving higher health care costs? Advertisement AI Prognosis April 1, 2026 STAT Plus: Insilico Medicine CEO on how best to use AI in drug development AI Prognosis March 25, 2026 STAT Plus: A 2023 health AI bet that seems to be paying off AI Prognosis March 18, 2026 STAT Plus: How ARPA-H is developing FDA-authorized AI agents, tested in clinical trials Subscriber Picks