Amy Gleason, the leader of the U.S. DOGE Service, has been appointed by the Trump administration as an adviser to Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr. with the objective of integrating AI into the healthcare system. This initiative involves developing chatbots that could potentially diagnose illnesses and prescribe medication, building on the groundwork laid by the Cicero Institute, which is promoting state legislation for AI systems to handle medical tasks like prescription refills. However, there are concerns from physicians about the complexities and challenges that AI may introduce into healthcare.
Certuma: Certuma is a startup developing an AI chatbot designed to function as an independent medical professional for consultations and prescriptions. It has collaborated with regulators in Argentina and is seeking FDA approval pathways in the U.S. The company is part of the Trump administration-supported efforts to test and deploy autonomous AI in healthcare settings.
Doctronic: Doctronic is an AI healthcare company operating a pilot program in Utah that allows chatbots to handle prescription refills under human oversight initially. It has secured significant backing and is expanding amid federal interest in AI adoption. The company is cited as an example of entrepreneurs testing the boundaries of AI in real-world medical workflows.
Mehmet Oz: Mehmet Oz is the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, focusing on policy to expand access to care through technology. He has publicly discussed plans to integrate AI agents across Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries to address rural healthcare gaps. Oz’s role aligns with the administration’s push for AI-driven solutions in chronic disease management.
Amy Gleason: Amy Gleason is a technology and policy leader who directs the U.S. DOGE Service and serves as an adviser on AI initiatives. She became involved in AI healthcare after her daughter’s medical records were re-evaluated by ChatGPT, leading to a new diagnosis and clinical trial access. Gleason is now positioned to guide the integration of AI chatbots and autonomous systems into U.S. healthcare under the Trump administration and HHS Secretary RFK Jr.
Joe Lonsdale: Joe Lonsdale is a tech entrepreneur and investor who funds the Cicero Institute and serves as a main backer of Certuma. He supports policy changes that accelerate AI deployment in regulated sectors like healthcare. Lonsdale’s involvement connects Silicon Valley resources to the Trump administration’s AI healthcare initiatives.
Armando Cuesta: Armando Cuesta is a physician serving as chief medical officer at Certuma, providing clinical oversight to its AI chatbot development. He collaborates with founder Martin Varsavsky on building tools for independent medical advice and prescriptions. Cuesta engages in debates around the scope and implications of AI in replacing or augmenting physician tasks.
Cicero Institute: The Cicero Institute is a right-leaning think tank that develops model legislation to enable state-level AI healthcare pilots similar to Utah’s. It advocates for regulatory flexibility to test chatbots in prescription and diagnostic roles. The institute’s work is funded in part by tech investors and supports the broader shift toward AI in medicine.
Martin Varsavsky: Martin Varsavsky is a serial entrepreneur who founded the AI medical chatbot company Certuma after personal frustrations with appointment delays. He advocates for the first FDA-approved independent AI physician capable of symptom checking, diagnosis, and prescribing. Varsavsky is actively developing Certuma in partnership with regulators and is co-authoring a book on the future of AI replacing traditional medical roles.
U.S. DOGE Service: The U.S. DOGE Service is a federal efficiency initiative focused on streamlining government operations and adopting technology solutions. Amy Gleason leads the service after taking over from Elon Musk. In the current news, she is leveraging her role to advance AI integration specifically within healthcare systems as part of broader Trump administration priorities.
Trump administration: The Trump administration refers to the executive branch under President Donald Trump, emphasizing deregulation, innovation, and public-private partnerships to address systemic issues like chronic disease and healthcare access. It is actively supporting pilots and regulatory changes to incorporate AI tools into medical care. The administration’s approach is enabling faster experimentation with autonomous AI in diagnosis and treatment through agencies like HHS and FDA.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. serves as Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Trump administration, overseeing efforts to modernize healthcare delivery. He is working with advisers like Amy Gleason to incorporate AI into medical systems as a response to challenges such as doctor shortages and chronic disease. His leadership supports new programs for AI in diagnostics, prescriptions, and wellness monitoring.
Policy: The Cicero Institute is advancing model state legislation to expand pilots allowing AI chatbots to manage medical tasks like prescription refills with plans for greater autonomy.
Innovation: Tech firms such as Google DeepMind and OpenAI are actively developing AI systems capable of analyzing medical records and guiding patient actions in healthcare scenarios.
Regulation: The FDA has established a fast-track program for digital health technologies including AI chatbots and wearables to address chronic disease through remote monitoring.
