Is Your Next Doctor An Algorithm?

When news broke last week that Apple is planning its most ambitious health play yet – an “AI doctor” built inside its Health app – the tech world buzzed. The feature – an always-on wellness coach that leverages biometric data from our Apple devices – promises personalised health advice for users. But it could be even more: a breakthrough in the push to bridge gaps in healthcare.

Let’s be honest: legacy healthcare systems are broken. In many low-income or rural communities, access to a doctor is still a luxury. Elsewhere, wait times drag, resources are stretched, and prevention often takes a backseat to reactive care. So if AI tools like Apple’s can deliver even half of what they promise – symptom triage, daily nudges, literacy tools, personalised insights – they’ll be a powerful ally to overburdened systems. Not a substitute for doctors, but a meaningful first line of support. Not replacing relationships with robots, but filling the space where no relationship exists. And always, always, against a back-drop of evidence based medicine from peer reviewed data.

It sounds like science fiction. But this isn’t a pitch-deck fantasy, it’s already happening. We’re in an era where technology is flipping healthcare on its head, and your most trusted wellness coach might already be in your pocket.

Just like everywhere else, tech disruption is the standout trend in health. And yet, in a twist that might make Silicon Valley pause, we’re also seeing a macro countertrend: people are craving more human touch, real-world engagement, and analogue connections. The paradox has big implications across the agency world; strategy, creative, client services, all of it.

As our new report – The 5 Macro Trends Every Pharma Marketer Needs to Know Now – shows, AI is making healthcare more personalised, more predictive, and more accessible. But even as it opens doors to the previously unimaginable, our desire for emotional connection, in-person experiences, and sensory engagement is only growing. For creatives, the learning is simple: this isn’t a choice between digital or human – it’s a mandate to master both.

Let’s start with the tech. AI is transforming forecasting across industries – but its real strength emerges when paired with human insight. In health, that combo is potent: AI crunches vast datasets to predict everything from drug demand to patient drop-off points, while human strategists add nuance and context. This hybrid approach is setting new standards for predictive precision, enabling smarter solutions and better outcomes. AI coaching tools could push that even further, delivering personalised health nudges to people before they even realise they need them.

But AI can’t replace trust – not yet. Consumers are sceptical, with just 13 per cent strongly believing brands provide accurate health information. The rise of influencers (some helpful, some wildly misinformed) has only muddied the waters.

This is where the ‘analogue movement’ kicks in. After years of virtual everything, people are burned out; 84 per cent feel modern tech reduces trusted engagement. In health, that’s showing up in a renewed appetite for face-to-face doctor visits, hands-on education, and even old-school print materials. As Dame Laura Lee, CEO of cancer support charity, Maggie’s, puts it: “People see the benefits of virtual care, but they’re absolutely saying that they need face-to-face. You need in-person work alongside brilliant digital.” The smartest brands are listening and finding ways to walk that line.

We’re also seeing a shift from broad access to meaningful access. A new era of “selective healthcare” is here. Patients want more than just treatments that work – they want treatments that work for them. That might mean therapies tested on their demographic, services in their preferred setting, or education that aligns with their values and life context.

This is where AI-driven health tech shines, enabling personalisation at scale. Imagine being nudged to go for a walk not so you hit 10,000 steps, but because your stress indicators are up after back-to-back meetings. That’s care that gets you.

At the same time, there's growing realisation that health comms isn’t just charts and checkboxes. Cities are creating wellness spaces infused with art and nature. Cancer centres are embracing the architecture of healing. Pharma campaigns feel more like immersive experiences than sterile ads. The message is clear: we want healthcare that sees us as people, not patients.

So, as Apple steps into the exam room with its AI doctor, the issue isn’t whether technology will change healthcare – it already is. The question is: can it bring us closer to ourselves in the process?

The opportunity is enormous. Done right, AI can expand access, anticipate problems, and tailor interventions to individuals. But it can’t replace a warm hand, a listening ear, or the emotional intelligence of a human caregiver. Nor should it try.

The future of health isn’t machine versus medicine. It’s machine and medicine. It’s about building bridges – between data and empathy, scale and intimacy, humility and showmanship. The smartest agencies will be those that understand those paradoxes and adapt.

Because when your next doctor is an algorithm, radical empathy becomes the real competitive edge.

Claire Gillis is the global CEO of VML Health.