What you probably already know: Maybe you’ve talked with a chatbot about menopause. Perhaps you’ve checked in on common issues such as a urinary tract infection, a headache or sleep. Maybe you’ve asked about diet changes to help manage chronic pain or mental health concerns. If you have used a chatbot for health advice — one study found that 53% of women do — you’ve certainly noticed a growing and dizzying array of options, as women’s health-oriented chatbots are seemingly popping up everywhere. The National Institutes of Health calls cmedical-related hatbots accessible, confidential and non-judgmental “pocket doctors” that are available whenever they’re needed.
Why it matters: Maven Clinic, based in New York, just released Maven Intelligence, an AI-powered tool embedded across its virtual clinic. Ring maker Oura just launched its first proprietary AI model to deliver personalized health guidance. California-based Movano just released an enhancement to its Evie smart ring called EvieAI, a wearable virtual wellness assistant trained with data from medical journals. Last September, Denver-based women’s health platform Rescripted launched Clara, a chatbot specifically trained on women’s health and wellness. There are others, but you get the idea. As Women in Tech notes, these chatbots provide confidential and instant access to medical advice, “especially in regions where cultural taboos limit open discussion about women’s health.”
What it means: Why is this happening all at once? Mounds of research show that popular large-language models on which AI is based carry inherent biases. One study found that popular AI systems such as ChatGPT and Copilot reflect and amplify age- and gender-related stereotypes against older women. Others reveal distinct male biases, including one that found ChatGPT “is heavily gender-biased, amplifying inequalities and putting women, men and gender-diverse people at a further disadvantage.” It’s also well-documented that the medical establishment has long neglected women’s health, with the World Economic Forum saying women’s health represents a $1 trillion opportunity for the global economy by 2040.
What happens next: This isn’t just a phenomenon in the United States. In India, for example, the government’s National Health Mission just released the Suman Sakhi chatbot to help women find information on pregnancy care and health risks via WhatsApp. It’s clearly the “dawn of the Femtech revolution,” as McKinsey & Co. puts it. In a study on the effects of AI chatbots on women’s health, the National Institutes of Health notes that they deliver reliable, user-friendly responses easy to understand, and are accurate and trustworthy. “AI isn’t just a feature on the margins of health care. It’s foundational,” says Maven CEO Kate Ryder, who founded the company in 2014. Chatbots also enable “earlier intervention, more confident decision-making and better care for women at every stage of life.”
