What happened:Hippocratic AI, a healthcare-focused generative AI startup,;launched today;with $50M in seed funding. The company is building large language models specifically for healthcare tasks, such as offering dietary advice, answering pre-op and billing questions, and delivering negative test results.
Why it matters:;Unlike other AI models in healthcare, Hippocratic AI's focus is not on diagnosing medical conditions. Its consumer-facing models could power healthcare chatbots that supplement the roles of clinicians, billing specialists, and others as the healthcare industry copes with burnout and;high turnover.
What the numbers say:;Hippocratic AI tested its AI model on 114 healthcare certifications, outperforming OpenAI's GPT-4 on 105 of them, according to co-founder and CEO Munjal Shah. These certifications spanned various specialties, including urology, pharmacy, and nursing.
What's next:;Andreessen Horowitz, one of the investors, said Hippocratic was one of the largest seed checks it has made in the healthcare industry. The funding will be used to support model training and safety as the startup seeks to differentiate itself in the healthcare sector, integrating medical expertise and incorporating feedback from doctors in its model development.
The bigger picture:;Hippocratic's launch came on the same day that the World Health Organization (WHO);cautioned;against the use of AI in healthcare due to potential bias and misinformation. While recognizing the benefits of AI in improving access to health information, WHO emphasized the need to evaluate the risks associated with using large language model tools like ChatGPT to protect human well-being and public health.
