OpenAI acquires medical AI startup Torch for $100 million, ChatGPT Health welcomes "the strongest brain"

Following the launch of ChatGPT Health, OpenAI officially announced today the completion of the acquisition of healthcare startup Torch. The company, founded by four employees last year, focuses on developing solutions that unify various dimensions of medical data such as lab test results, medication information, and clinic recordings. The acquisition deal is reported to be approximately $100 million, and all members of Torch have confirmed joining the OpenAI team. With the dual strategic support of Microsoft Corporation and SoftBank, OpenAI officially launched a new product in the healthcare field, ChatGPT Health, last week. According to the company's official statement, the core goal of this product is to empower users - by providing intelligent health management tools, users can achieve "more comprehensive awareness, better preparation, and more confidence" in their health status. Torch stated: "We founded Torch to build a medical memory for AI, consolidating scattered records into a contextual engine that helps you see the big picture, connect the dots, and ensure important information is no longer drowned out by noise. Now, by joining OpenAI, we can achieve this vision on a larger scale, something we couldn't do on our own." OpenAI posted on the social media platform X: "Integrating this innovative tool with ChatGPT Health opens up a new path for understanding and managing personal health." More and more tech companies are targeting the lucrative healthcare market, betting that advancements in artificial intelligence can help analyze patterns in user health data to provide personalized medical advice. However, these initiatives have raised concerns about privacy and security risks associated with handling more sensitive personal data and offering advice for higher-risk health issues. ChatGPT Health provides specially designed encryption and isolation features to allow users to use the app in a more secure and private way - these features are aimed at protecting and isolating health conversation content and ensuring that user privacy data is protected throughout the interaction. OpenAI stated that ChatGPT receives inquiries about health and healthcare from over 200 million people every week. The company also mentioned consulting with over 260 doctors in the past two years to enhance the health features of its AI technology. Additionally, they plan to isolate health conversations from other app content and enhance privacy features. The OpenAI team emphasizes that this service is meant to complement, not replace, a doctor's judgment. OpenAI's Head of Applications, Fei-Fei Siyamo, stated: "Doctors don't have enough time and energy. They can't spend a lot of time understanding everything about you or explaining the situation in a way you can understand. At the same time, when you look at artificial intelligence, it is not limited by these constraints." In recent years, major tech companies have heavily invested in the health and medical field, including Apple Inc., Amazon.com, Inc., Meta Platforms, Samsung, and Microsoft Corporation.