The So What from BCG · 2026-07-15 · 21 min
Ben Keneally, BCG’s Asia Pacific health care services leader, explains why AI is now many patients’ first stop - often before they see a doctor. He argues that pairing AI with personal health records improves outcomes and equity, and that health leaders, not LLMs, must shape how this shift unfolds. You’ll Learn: Why AI is becoming the default first step in care, especially in markets with limited access to clinicians How pairing AI with personal health records improves treatment compliance and catches errors earlier Why driving AI into end-to-end care pathways takes leadership, not just frontline experimentation Learn More: BCG’s Latest Thinking on the Health Care Industry: Consumers Are Ready for AI-Enabled Health Care. Health Systems Need to Be, Too.: Chapters (0:00) The Biggest Health Care Shift in Centuries (1:47) How Is AI Being Used in Health Care Today? (2:23) Where Is AI Adoption Highest, and What Does That Tell Us? (3:29) Does AI Create a Two-Tier Health System? (4:55) What's Next for AI Agents? (6:51) Where Are the Biggest Opportunities: Diagnosis, Navigation, or Appointments? (8:13) The Health Care System AI Could Build (9:56) Does Your Health System Need Its Own AI?
