Microsoft Launches Copilot Health to Pull Medical Records and Wearable Data Into Copilot

Microsoft on March 12 launched Copilot Health, a separate space inside its Copilot AI assistant where U.S. adults can connect their medical records, wearable data and health history and ask questions about them, the company said in an announcement on its Microsoft AI site. The product is opening through a phased rollout that starts with a waitlist.

"Copilot Health doesn't replace your doctor. It makes every minute you have with them count more," the company wrote. Microsoft said the product is meant to help people arrive at appointments with the right questions and context.

What it connects to

According to Microsoft, users can build a health profile that draws on activity, sleep, vital signs and other trends from more than 50 wearable devices, including Apple Health, Oura and Fitbit. Health records, including visit summaries, medication lists and test results, come from more than 50,000 U.S. hospitals and provider organizations through HealthEx, a health data network. Engadget reported that the tool can also pull in lab results from Function, a testing company, if users allow it.

Copilot Health also connects to real-time U.S. provider directories so users can search for clinicians by specialty, location, languages spoken and insurance coverage, the company said. Microsoft said its consumer products already answer more than 50 million health questions a day, and that general health answers now draw on information from credible health organizations in 50 countries, with citations and answer cards written by Harvard Health.

The company described the product as a step toward what it calls "medical superintelligence," citing its Microsoft AI Diagnostic Orchestrator research system. Microsoft said new AI features drawing on those capabilities "will only be released into Copilot Health after rigorous clinical evaluations and with clear labelling."

Privacy and regulatory status

Microsoft said Copilot Health conversations and data are kept apart from general Copilot under additional access, privacy and safety controls, are encrypted at rest and in transit, and are not used to train its models. Users can disconnect health record or wearable connections at any time and delete their information, the company said.

The product was developed with Microsoft's internal clinical team and an external panel of more than 230 physicians from more than 24 countries, according to the announcement. Microsoft said Copilot Health has achieved ISO/IEC 42001 certification, a standard for AI management systems, and that it is working with AARP and the National Health Council on the design.

The company's announcement states that Copilot Health "is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent diseases or other conditions and is not a substitute for professional medical advice."

Copilot Health is launching in English in the United States for adults 18 and older, with other languages and countries to be announced later. Engadget reported that users can try it free at first and, citing The New York Times, that Microsoft plans to charge for access through a subscription; pricing has not been disclosed.

The launch follows similar moves by other technology companies. Engadget noted that it came days after Amazon expanded its Health AI tool beyond One Medical, and that OpenAI announced earlier in the year that it was testing ChatGPT Health.