OpenAI has unveiled ChatGPT Health, a new dedicated health-focused feature within its ChatGPT platform that lets users securely connect their personal medical records and wellness apps like Apple Health, MyFitnessPal, and others to the AI so it can provide health-related guidance grounded in individual data. The service, currently rolling out to a select group of users with broader access planned, emphasizes its supportive role—helping people understand lab results, prepare for doctor visits, navigate wellness goals, and explore insurance options—while explicitly not diagnosing or treating medical conditions. OpenAI says ChatGPT Health stores sensitive information in an encrypted, isolated space and doesn’t use it to train models by default, but the handling of medical data in a consumer AI tool has sparked privacy and accuracy concerns even as demand for AI health assistance continues to grow. OpenAI partnered with b.well to enable secure access to U.S. health records and collaborated with hundreds of physicians during development.
Full-path URLs for sources are listed below.
Sources:
https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/857640/openai-launches-chatgpt-health-connect-medical-records
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/openai-launches-chatgpt-health-connect-medical-records-wellness-apps-2026-01-07/
https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/healthcare-information-technology/ai/openai-launches-chatgpt-health/
Key Takeaways
• ChatGPT Health is designed to let users link medical records and health apps for more personalized AI health guidance.
• The tool isn’t intended to replace medical professionals but to help with understanding data and planning care.
• There are ongoing concerns about privacy, data security, and accuracy now that mainstream AI interacts with personal health records.
In-Depth
OpenAI’s launch of ChatGPT Health marks a notable expansion of AI into the personal healthcare space at a time when millions already turn to ChatGPT for information on symptoms, treatments, and insurance questions. By enabling users to connect their own medical records and wellness applications directly to the AI, OpenAI is betting that access to individualized data will make its advice more practical and contextually rich. For example, lab results, activity patterns, and diet logs could help a user understand why certain blood markers have changed or how lifestyle adjustments might affect overall wellness.
The company stresses that ChatGPT Health is not a medical diagnosis or treatment tool. Its intended role is to augment patient understanding and generate insights that can be discussed with clinicians. That’s reflected in both the separate, encrypted space where health data resides and in OpenAI’s choice not to train models on conversations by default—a bid to reassure users about privacy.
That said, critics highlight valid concerns: any AI tool touching sensitive healthcare information raises questions about data security and misuse. Accurate interpretation of medical records isn’t trivial, and even well-meaning guidance could mislead without proper clinical context. Conservative perspectives often emphasize that no AI should replace human medical judgment, a sentiment that echoes in OpenAI’s own disclaimers.
Ultimately, ChatGPT Health’s success will hinge on its ability to help users meaningfully without compromising safety or privacy, and on maintaining clarity that AI support is a complement—not a substitute—for professional care in a field where lives are literally at stake.