With ChatGPT Health, OpenAI confirms its strategic shift: AI is no longer presented as a generalist tool and is beginning to materialize as vertical solutions by sector , designed to be securely integrated into critical contexts such as health.
This is no small launch. It's a clear sign of market maturity.
What is ChatGPT Health and what exactly has OpenAI launched?
OpenAI has announced ChatGPT Health , an experience designed to securely integrate a user's medical information with ChatGPT's conversational capabilities , with the goal of making people better informed, more prepared, and more confident in taking care of their health.
Health is already one of the most relevant topics within ChatGPT. According to anonymized internal data from OpenAI, more than 230 million people worldwide ask questions about health and wellness every week . This massive volume of usage has been one of the main drivers for creating an experience specifically designed for this domain.
ChatGPT Health combines ChatGPT's existing privacy, security, and data management controls with additional health-specific protections , including:
- Information encryption.
- Isolating conversations to keep them private and compartmentalized.
- Voluntary and controlled use of sensitive data by the user.
ChatGPT Salud was not created to provide better answers, but to provide answers with real healthcare context and reinforced privacy controls.
The real problem that ChatGPT Health is trying to solve
Today, a person's health information is often fragmented :
- Hospital portals.
- Wellness apps.
- Wearable devices.
- PDF reports.
- Clinical notes that are difficult to interpret.
This is compounded by a complex healthcare system that many patients must navigate virtually on their own. OpenAI acknowledges that a significant portion of users already use ChatGPT to try to better understand their medical information , although until now they have done so without structured personal context.
ChatGPT Salud was created to address exactly that gap: connecting scattered information and translating it into practical understanding .
What can ChatGPT Health do today?
ChatGPT Health allows users to securely connect their electronic health record and wellness apps , such as Apple Health, Function, or MyFitnessPal, so that conversations are based on their own health information.
With that contextual basis, ChatGPT can:
- Help interpret recent test results.
- Explain wellness trends over time.
- Translate biometric data and metrics into understandable language.
- Help prepare medical consultations with better questions.
All of this is based on an explicit principle:
ChatGPT Health was designed to support, not replace, medical care. It is not used for diagnosis or treatment. According to OpenAI, ChatGPT Health's primary function is to transform disparate health data into actionable insights, not to make clinical decisions.
Why this launch marks a phase change in AI
Beyond the specific case of health, ChatGPT Health is relevant because of what it represents strategically.
Over the past few years, the AI race has focused on :
- Larger models.
- Best benchmarks.
- General capabilities.
From 2026 onwards, the focus shifts to:
- Vertical products by sector.
- Language and flows adapted to the domain.
- Integration with real systems.
- Regulatory compliance by design.
In sectors such as health, legal or industry, adoption does not fail due to a lack of AI , but due to a lack of solutions aligned with real processes and regulatory restrictions.
ChatGPT Health is one of the first visible examples of this new approach.
AI in healthcare: real impact with data 2024–2026
OpenAI's move fits into a broader structural trend.
Key industry data:
- The global AI market in healthcare will exceed $110 billion by 2030 , according to recent estimates.
- More than 80% of hospitals already use AI in at least one clinical or operational area.
- In the United States, approximately two-thirds of physicians use AI tools in their daily practice or on an experimental basis.
- In specific tasks such as radiology or early detection, AI systems have achieved levels of accuracy comparable to or higher than the human average , always under professional supervision.
Current main uses include:
- Image-assisted diagnosis.
- Automation of clinical documentation.
- Medical decision support.
- Patient management and triage.
- Health education and support.
- What ChatGPT Health is not (and why it's important to say)
OpenAI has been explicit in setting clear boundaries , and this is key to building trust.
ChatGPT Health:
- It does not diagnose diseases.
- It does not prescribe treatments.
- It does not replace healthcare professionals.
- He does not make autonomous clinical decisions.
This positioning is not a limitation, but a necessary condition for responsible adoption in a regulated and high-risk sector.
Expected future uses of AI in healthcare
In the medium term, natural evolution points to:
Predictive medicine
→ Models capable of anticipating disease risks by combining longitudinal data, habits, and genetics.
Personalized health plans
→ Dynamic recommendations adjusted in real time based on actual patient data.
Integrated clinical assistants
→ AI embedded in the daily workflow of healthcare professionals to reduce administrative burden and improve the quality of care.
More mature regulation
→ Frameworks such as the European AI Act already establish strict requirements for AI systems considered to be high risk to health.
Conclusion: From generic assistants to digital healthcare products
ChatGPT Health is not just a new feature. It's a statement of intent.
OpenAI is betting on packaging AI into sector-specific solutions , designed from the outset to integrate into real-world contexts, with sensitive data, strict regulations, and very high expectations of reliability.
For organizations in the healthcare, technology, and industrial sectors, the message is clear:
The value of AI in 2026 will not be in using generic models, but in building vertical products that understand the operational context .
At Brain we see it every day: the AI that makes an impact is the one that adapts to the terrain, not the one that stays in the demo.