Nearly no one got into the business of health care because they want to think about identity. But AI is making us all rethink healthcare, and quickly. And identity is going to play a big part in it.
For providers, AI has already had a profound impact. Ambient room dictation systems have made the days of pecking at a keyboard while interviewing the patient a thing of the past. AI can often read an X-ray faster than a human radiologist. AI systems can give a doctor a briefing on the next best action with a patient as the doctor walks into the exam room. AI has already profoundly changed the lives of medical providers.
What gets talked about a lot less is how AI will change the patient experience.
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Patients are starting to realize they already have a doctor in their pocket. AI chatbots can serve as a medical consultant that is always available, never gets tired, and costs almost nothing.
But we’re about to enter a world beyond just talking to a chat tool about your health. AI tools are on the precipice of being able to take action on their advice.
A new identity framework is needed
It’s one thing to get a quick diagnosis from an AI chat. But what happens when:
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- The patient asks the AI to reach out to the office and make an appointment to get the condition looked at.
- The patient asks their AI to tell their doctor’s AI what it already knows about the patient’s condition.
- Once the provider prescribes medicine, the patient might ask the AI to check with the local pharmacy to see when it can be picked up.
- A month from now, the patient asks their AI to reach out to the provider for a refill
You get the idea. All of this is certain to happen. It will be profoundly useful. Adoption will be quick and transformative. Soon, the AI will be the personal chief medical officer for each patient. As exciting as this new world is, it raises a whole new set of identity questions.
- When an AI knocks on the provider’s virtual door, saying I represent a particular patient, how do we know that the patient authorized this AI? If we even acknowledge the existence of a prescription to a non-authorized AI, that is a HIPAA violation.
- How do we know if an AI is a good AI or a bad AI? Even if a patient trusts a given AI, we still have a duty to ensure this is not a scam AI taking advantage of our patients.
- How can the patient say that the AI can do some things but not others? For example, a patient may want to say an AI can book appointments and order refills but not see my medical history.
To usher in this exciting future, we’re going to need a whole new way to think about identity that can solve these problems.
Help is on the way
Work such as the Know Your Agent OS from the Linux Foundation will start to make real progress toward solving these problems. The basic idea here is to give each agent its own identity. Then, agents will have a reputation tied to that identity. If an agent behaves well, it will have a good reputation, and if it behaves poorly, it will quickly be blocked. This is very similar to how spam email rating systems work.
Then, we need a system where humans can express that a given AI can have permission to do various things on their behalf. This is very similar to our systems of medical permissioning today, such as allowing a spouse or parent to see medical records and make medical decisions. The good news is that all of these protocols and systems are being designed and built and will be available soon.
What happens when the AI turns bad
As much as AI can be a force for good in this new world of care, AI will surely also be used in the wrong way.
One example is deep fakes. Today, there are simple tools that can readily create a voiceprint of anyone. Say a provider has given a talk that’s now on YouTube – that’s all we need to copy their voice and manner of speech. Then, that deepfake voice can be used to call the health system’s call center and explain that the provider has lost their password and needs a reset. If our call centers aren’t careful, they may fall for it. Now, an imposter is logged into our systems. They can harvest medical records, which go for hundreds of dollars on the dark web.
The costs can be enormous. In this case, the health system would need to notify patients, provide identity theft tooling, and likely be subject to lawsuits. In even worse cases, suppose the impostor changes medical data or test results. This could lead to catastrophic health outcomes.
How to fight bad AI
Combating this threat will require escalating diligence. There are some tools we can use, such as continuous identity assurance. These look for continuous signals that a bad actor may be taking over the account. For example, if a person’s cell phone SIM is changed to a new carrier and then the person immediately does a password reset (with OTP sent to that phone), that could be a potent indicator of an account takeover.
But a total solution is on the way. Governments are starting to issue driver’s licenses as Digital IDs (also called Mobile Drivers Licenses in the US). California has already issued 2 million of them. Thirty states have signed on, with more added regularly.
While one benefit of a Digital ID is that you can leave your physical ID at home, a far more powerful benefit is their ability to fight deep fakes. Digital IDs are very easy to provide, either when in a browser or using your phone. They cannot be counterfeited. They rely on a live biometric to ensure the right human is using the phone. In the future, whenever a deep fake is suspected, you could just ask the person to provide their Digital ID to prove they are in fact who they say they are. We predict that this will be such a potent tool against fraud that all password resets in the future will involve showing a Digital ID rather than sending an OTP to your phone. This will transform our ability to stay safe online.
AIs will soon play not just a diagnostic role in people’s lives, but also a treatment role in arranging and facilitating care. To do so, we will need new identity tools to govern access, comply with HIPAA, and fight fraud. The result will be better health outcomes. And that’s why we all got into health care in the first place.
Photo: Witthaya Prasongsin, Getty Images
Peter Horadan is the CEO of Vouched, the AI identity verification platform that’s transforming how leading Healthcare and Financial Services companies onboard and verify people — instantly and securely. Throughout his career, Peter has led the charge in replacing slow, manual workflows with scalable, automated systems that unlock efficiency, reduce costs, and create measurable impact. From digitizing expense reporting at Concur to streamlining sales tax compliance at Avalara, Peter has helped modernize core business processes across industries. His leadership reflects a deep understanding of how automation can drive growth, compliance, and customer experience at scale. Peter has also held leadership positions at Alavara, Scout Analytics, Microsoft, Corillian, and BEA Systems.
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