The Open Health Stack Software Foundation serves as a collaborative, community-driven platform dedicated to developing essential components for global health solutions, aiming to foster innovation and accessibility worldwide.

AI is transforming the field of medicine. The physicians responsible for patient outcomes need to be at the forefront of how AI is integrated into healthcare, ensuring it benefits patient care effectively and ethically—as emphasized by Afnan R. Tariq and Ami Bhatt.

Exclusive: As AI scribe technology rapidly gains traction in GP clinics, regulators are closely monitoring its rollout and potential risks. The federal health department has expressed worries about privacy and is evaluating the need for stricter safeguards. AI scribes automatically record, transcribe, and summarize doctor-patient conversations to create medical notes, with usage surging over the last 18 months.

From advanced prosthetic limbs that mimic natural movement to wearable exoskeletons enhancing human strength, technology is transforming healthcare with a human-centered approach. Jeremy Brown from Johns Hopkins University highlights how prosthetics are evolving to become intimate extensions of the body, utilizing AI and data for better control. Wearable devices like Skip’s MO/GO pants amplify physical performance while prioritizing comfort and user experience. Additionally, gamification strategies in health management apps, such as Verily Me, are motivating users to engage with their health proactively, offering personalized nudges and rewards. These innovations are not only improving individual care but also promise to enhance clinical trials through better participant engagement.

Today's health technology highlights include a nationwide rollout of virtual physical therapy, insights into the FDA's evolving stance on AI regulations, and other notable industry updates.

Edison Scientific is collaborating with investment firm Population Health Partners to utilize AI agents for accelerating drug discovery and development in the biotechnology sector. This partnership aims to harness cutting-edge AI technology to create new biotechnological solutions and enhance the efficiency of pharmaceutical research and development.

Portugal's National Health Service has entered into an agreement with digital health firm Sword Health to implement AI-assisted virtual physical therapy across the country, aiming to enhance patient care and accessibility.

Clive Meanwell, chairman of Population Health Partners, once skeptical about AI, now views it as a powerful catalyst in advancing biotechnologies designed for improving population health.

A new legislative proposal seeks to prevent the sale of Americans' health and location data to data brokers, including data shared with AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA) are expected to introduce an updated Health and Location Data Protection Act soon. Initially proposed in June 2022, the bill banned data brokers from collecting and selling health and location data. The updated version broadens the scope by prohibiting other companies from selling this sensitive data to brokers, specifically addressing challenges posed by AI technologies.

Drug discovery remains a slow and fragmented process, with an alarming failure rate of 90% to 95%. It often takes over a decade and up to $1 billion to bring a single successful drug to market. While generative AI has offered new solutions, Stanford researchers have advanced the field with autonomous AI "scientist" agents that simulate the entire drug development lifecycle. Led by James Zou, these thousands of AI agents operate within a unified framework, handling discovery, safety testing, clinical trial design, and more, preserving project continuity and context. The hierarchical system uses a chief scientist agent to oversee task delegation among specialized agent teams. Data integration spans from genomics and FDA chemistry to trial databases, enabling sophisticated synthesis and analysis powered by models like Claude and specialized fine-tuned versions. Zou’s startup, Human Intelligence, built on this research, is currently valued near $1 billion. At VB Transform 2026, Zou will unveil strategies for managing complex multi-agent workflows, transforming enterprise data to be agent-native, and employing human auditing for reliable AI outputs. Another event highlights how Zillow boosted engineering productivity by 40% through trustworthy agentic AI foundations. Interested leaders can register for VB Transform 2026 and inquire about complimentary passes for senior tech executives.