Healthcare’s AI agents are failing, a third over private data exposure

Healthcare is one of the most cautious industries when it comes to artificial intelligence, but caution hasn’t prevented failures. Three in 4 providers have already had to switch off an AI agent handling patient messages. What actually fails sits deeper than the AI.

It’s a couple of days before your doctor’s appointment and, “Ding!”, your phone pings with a reminder text. A few days later, you get a notification that your prescription is ready for pickup. Then, another one comes through saying your test results are ready in the app. The healthcare industry generates exactly the kind of high-volume, repetitive communication that AI agents were built to handle, and it’s already putting them to work.

But running AI in patient communications gets complicated in an industry ruled by data privacy and compliance concerns. Medical providers have a moral duty to protect their patients, including their data, and failure to do so is as serious as it gets. Leaked medical records can easily fall into criminal hands, lead to hefty legal fines, and result in a permanent breakdown in patient trust. And yet, the risks haven’t put the industry off.

A new report from Sinch surveyed over 470 healthcare leaders globally to see how they’re using or planning to use AI in patient communications. Three in 4 of those already running AI agents have had to pull one back due to a governance failure. The leading reason: personal information surfacing where it shouldn’t.