AI technology is making significant strides in healthcare, with various startups pushing towards integrating AI systems that could potentially replace doctors entirely. While the majority of clinical AI firms aim to enhance healthcare efficiency by reducing physician burnout and aiding in decision-making, a select group is venturing into more disruptive territory, advocating for AI to take over certain medical responsibilities. Here’s a closer look at three pioneering companies in this space.
Doctronic, a New York-based innovator, presents a unique platform that acts as a personal AI doctor, making clinical decisions autonomously while adhering to HIPAA regulations. After securing $40 million in a Series B funding round in March—led by Abstract and Lightspeed Venture Partners—the company’s total funding now stands at $65 million. Doctronic operates in Utah, where it has gained approval to renew prescriptions for patients with chronic illnesses without requiring a physician's oversight. Notably, the AI has successfully authorized prescription renewals independently 72% of the time for 192 different medications addressing issues such as hypertension, diabetes, and depression. When human intervention was necessary, the AI appropriately escalated the case 28% of the time, with independent physician reviewers agreeing with this judgment in 69% of instances. Encouragingly, no major safety issues have been reported, though concerns regarding accountability and security vulnerabilities remain under review by regulatory bodies.
Another emerging player, Certuma, founded by entrepreneur Martin Varsavsky, aims to tackle frequent health issues that typically crowd urgent care facilities. With $10 million in seed funding led by 8VC, Certuma is striving to become the first AI doctor with FDA approval. Its focus includes 25 low-risk, high-prevalence conditions like urinary tract infections and strep throat, leveraging well-established clinical pathways. The company is following a dual strategy: a rigorous route through the U.S. FDA while simultaneously pursuing quicker regulatory approval in Argentina, where it has already launched a service providing diagnosis and prescription recommendations via a consumer-friendly chatbot. The long-term vision includes enhancing the AI with autonomous robotic booths for conducting imaging and blood draws.
Ada Health, based in Berlin, is developing an AI health companion designed to assist users in evaluating their symptoms and determining the next steps without necessarily connecting them to a doctor. With $242 million in funding, highlighted by a substantial $120 million Series B round from investors like Inteligo Bank and Farallon Capital, Ada Health claims to support 13 million users who have completed over 32 million symptom assessments. A peer-reviewed study published in BMJ recognized Ada's tool for its superior coverage, accuracy, and safety among various symptom-checking applications, positioning it more as an "AI front door" than a direct replacement for medical professionals, effectively reducing the number of patient visits to physicians.
Contrasting these startups, established AI companies are more focused on augmenting healthcare practices rather than supplanting physicians. For instance, Anthropic introduced Claude for Healthcare in 2026 as a resource to assist medical professionals rather than replace them. This aligns with the majority of large healthcare systems, where the objective is to use AI to streamline tasks like documentation and triage, allowing physicians to dedicate more time to patient care decisions. However, the landscape is changing. Recently, Revere Health initiated workforce reductions involving medical coding and administrative roles—approximately 7% of its staff—while maintaining its physician workforce. This shift indicates a potential trend where AI could gradually reshape roles in the medical field, provoking unease among physicians. A recent poll indicated that 58% of doctors fear that AI might either diminish their roles or lead to outright obsolescence in the future.
