Can a Startup Out-AI Big Tech? Included Health’s Dot Aims to Rival Google and OpenAI in Health AI
As Big Tech races to dominate artificial intelligence across search, productivity, and consumer services, a quieter but potentially more consequential AI battle is unfolding in healthcare. This week, Included Health announced the launch of Dot, its own AI-powered personal health assistant, positioning the company as a serious contender in a space increasingly eyed by companies like Google, OpenAI, and Amazon.
But unlike most consumer-facing AI tools, Dot is not designed to operate alone. Instead, Included Health is betting on a hybrid approach, one that keeps licensed clinicians firmly in the loop.
A Different Kind of AI Health Assistant
Dot is built to act as a personalized health guide, helping users navigate benefits, understand symptoms, manage care plans, and make informed healthcare decisions. Rather than simply answering generic medical questions, the assistant is deeply integrated into Included Health’s broader care platform, which already serves millions of members through employers and health plans.
What sets Dot apart is its clinician-backed design. While AI handles the first layer of interaction, answering questions, surfacing recommendations, and guiding users through next steps, human clinicians step in when situations become complex, sensitive, or high-risk.
This “AI-first, clinician-always-available” model reflects a growing consensus in healthcare: automation can improve access and efficiency, but trust still depends on human oversight.
The Clinician-in-the-Loop Model
Included Health’s platform expansion formalizes what it calls an AI-driven, clinician-in-the-loop experience. In practice, this means Dot can escalate conversations to real care teams, including physicians, therapists, and specialists, without forcing users to start over or navigate separate systems.
Healthcare has long struggled with fragmented digital experiences, chatbots that can’t answer nuanced questions, portals that fail to connect to actual care, and AI tools that fall short of accountability. Included Health’s approach aims to close that gap by blending automation with continuity of care.
For employers and insurers, the promise is reduced friction and better outcomes. For users, it’s a single entry point into care that doesn’t disappear when things get complicated.
Competing With Big Tech, Without Playing the Same Game
On paper, Included Health is up against formidable competitors. Google has deep investments in medical AI, OpenAI’s models are already being explored for health applications, and Amazon continues to push into virtual care and pharmacy services.
Yet Included Health’s advantage lies in focus and domain depth. Unlike general-purpose AI systems, Dot is trained and deployed within a tightly controlled healthcare environment, governed by clinical protocols, privacy requirements, and real-world care delivery constraints.
Rather than trying to be everything to everyone, Dot is designed to do one thing well: guide users through the healthcare system with speed, accuracy, and human backup.
Why This Matters Now
Healthcare is one of the most sensitive areas for AI adoption. Errors carry real-world consequences, and trust is hard to earn. By anchoring AI assistance to licensed clinicians, Included Health is signaling that the future of health AI may not be fully autonomous but collaborative.
This model also reflects broader regulatory and ethical pressures. As governments and institutions scrutinize AI in high-stakes environments, solutions that combine automation with accountability are likely to face fewer barriers to adoption.
For startups, Included Health’s move is notable. It shows that competing with Big Tech doesn’t always require larger models or broader platforms; it requires smarter integration and a clearer understanding of where AI should stop.
Why Included Health’s Approach Stands Out
Dot’s launch is less about flashy AI demos and more about practical deployment at scale. It represents a shift from experimental healthcare AI toward operational systems that are embedded into everyday care experiences.
If successful, Included Health’s strategy could influence how AI is rolled out across other regulated industries, from finance to education, industries where automation alone is not enough.
For now, Dot positions Included Health as one of the most credible examples of how AI and human expertise can work together, rather than compete, in shaping the future of digital healthcare.
