Cultivating Health Care's AI Future

AbstractDr. Vijay Pande, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), discusses the intersection of artificial intelligence, venture capital, and health care on a recent episode of NEJM AI Grand Rounds.¹ He emphasizes the potential for AI to democratize access to high-quality health care, analogous to how consumer technology has equalized access to information and entertainment. Dr. Pande argues that AI's impact on health care will be most significant in preventive care and early intervention rather than in treating advanced disease states. He also provides insights into a16z's investment thesis for health care companies, and highlights the need for individuals with expertise in both clinical medicine and AI to drive innovation in this field. Looking ahead, while current AI systems excel at tasks based on existing knowledge, the next major breakthrough may require developing AIs capable of exploration, creation, and discovery akin to human scientific inquiry.